For Prospective Student-Athletes
UW-Stevens Point competes at the NCAA Division III level and has 20 varsity sports (11 women, nine men). Division III institutions have to sponsor at least five sports for men and five for women, with two team sports for each gender, and each playing season represented by each gender. There are minimum contest and participant minimums for each sport.
Division III athletics feature student-athletes who receive no financial aid related to their athletic ability and athletic departments are staffed and funded like any other department in the university. Division III athletics departments place special importance on the impact of athletics on the participants rather than on the spectators. The student-athlete's experience is of paramount concern. Division III athletics encourages participation by maximizing the number and variety of athletics opportunities available to students, placing primary emphasis on regional in-season and conference competition (source: NCAA.org).
Prospective student-athletes and their families are invited to read the
Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete, which is available on the NCAA website.
Individuals wishing to transfer from another Division III school must either complete a
self-release form (available at NCAA.org) or be released by their current institution in order to speak with a member of the UW-Stevens Point staff. Individuals transferring from Division I, Division II or NAIA must be released by their current institution. More information is available in the
NCAA Transfer Guide, which is available on the NCAA website.
For Fans of UW-Stevens Point Athletics
As a supporter of the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, you have a lot of pride in our institution. You’re proud of UWSP’s high academic standards, its adherence to values and the overall quality of the UW-Stevens Point experience.
Chances are, you’re also proud of the great athletic tradition as well. It’s a tradition steeped in National Championships, All-Americans, conference crowns, memorable moments and tremendous fan support. But most importantly, UW-Stevens Point athletics has a long tradition of integrity. We all want to see the Pointers win, but at UW-Stevens Point it is most important to win the RIGHT way -- and that means following NCAA rules governing the recruitment and treatment of student athletes.
NCAA Bylaws pertaining to institutional representatives
13.02.7.1: Once an individual is identified as an institutional representative, the person retains that identity indefinitely.
13.1.1.2: A representative of the institution’s athletics interests shall not make contact with the student-athlete of another four-year collegiate institution, directly or indirectly, without first obtaining the written permission of the first institution’s athletic director to do so, regardless of who makes the initial contact.
NCAA Bylaws pertaining to extra benefits
16.01.4: A student-athlete may not accept money for unspecified or unitemized expenses from any organization or individual.
16.11.1.6: A student-athlete may accept transportation and meal expenses in conjunction with participation in a luncheon meeting of a booster club or civic organization, provided the meeting occurs within a 30-mile radius of the institution’s main campus and no tangible award is provided to the student-athlete.
16.12.1.5: A student-athlete or the entire team in a sport may receive an OCCASIONAL family home meal from an institutional staff member or representative of the athletics interests if: a) the meal is provided in an individual’s home (as opposed to a restaurant); b) meals are restricted to infrequent and special occasions; c) the institution (or a representative of its athletics interests) may provide transportation to student-athletes to attend the meal function as long as it is at the home of the institutional representative.
A student-athlete may not receive a special discount, payment arrangement or credit on purchase from an institutional employee or an athletic representative.
A member institution shall not permit individuals outside the institution to serve as “sponsors” or “families” for student-athletes who are enrolled in the institution, unless a sponsorship program exists to provide the same benefits and support service to all students at the institution.
What is an extra benefit?
An extra benefit would include provision of any transportation, meals, clothes, entertainment, preferential loan terms or other benefit offered to a student-athlete that is unavailable to the general student population.
A representative may not provide any such extra benefit to enrolled student-athletes or their families. Simply put, you may not treat a student-athlete any differently than a student who does not participate in athletics (i.e. sponsors and special discouts).
Thank you for your support of intercollegiate athletics. We ask for your cooperation in keeping UW-Stevens Point’s tradition of athletic integrity intact. Your assistance also will insure the eligibility of both high school prospects and enrolled student-athletes.
Two final reminders:
1) Please contact the athletic department for NCAA rules interpretations.
2) Remember that in most cases: CONTACT IS PROHIBITED.