UA Pine Bluff Athletics

Who is a Prospect?

The NCAA and SWAC rules and regulations often refer to “prospects.” However, the definition of a prospect is not as simple as “a student the institution is recruiting.” This page contains the NCAA definition of a prospect including when a prospect ceases being a prospect and becomes a student-athlete. Additional information on this website will explain the NCAA and Southwestern Athletic Conference rules relating to the interaction of boosters with prospects. If you have any questions regarding prospects do not hesitate to contact the UAPB Compliance Office.

A prospect is a student:

• Who has started classes for the ninth grade or above, OR
• Who is a men’s basketball prospect and started classes for the seventh grade, OR
• Is attending prep school or junior college, OR
• Has officially withdrawn from a four-year institution and plan to transfer to another collegiate institution, OR
• Who has not started classes for the ninth grade but receives financial assistance or benefits from an institution that are not provided to other prospective students in general.

Athletics Ability as a Criteria
A prospect that meets any of the above definitions is considered a prospective student-athlete regardless of his or her athletic ability. In addition, a prospect is considered such regardless of whether the institution is recruiting, or plans to recruit, him or her for one of its athletics programs.

When is a prospect no longer a prospect?
A prospect remains a prospect until they enroll and attend classes for a regular term (i.e. not summer) at UAPB or, for sports that start prior to the academic year, participates in regular squad practice. This means a prospect remains a prospect even after signing an NLI with UAPB.