HATTERS EXTRA • OCTOBER 2015
Table of Contents
About the Magazine
Fogarty is the Anchor of the Line . . . . 3, 5, 7 Men’s Hoops Announces Schedule . . . . 9 Women’s Hoops Announces Schedule 11 2015-16 Stetson Basketball Schedules 13 Wilkes Joins Atlantic Sun Hall of Fame 15 Kluber Joins Atlantic Sun Hall of Fame 17 October Master Schedule . . . . . . . . . . 19 The Edmunds Center . . . . . . . . . . 21, 23 Compliance Corner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Hatters Extra is a publication of the Stetson University Athletics Department. All rights reserved. Designed and edited by the Stetson Marketing and Athletic Communications offices. Photography by Jim Hogue, PhotosInMotion.net, David S. Williams, ASunPhotos.com, Stetson University, and Stetson Athletics. Printing by Independent Printing.
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FOGARTY IS THE ANCHOR OF THE LINE
Patrick Fogarty Family has always been important to Stetson junior offensive lineman Patrick Fogarty. His favorite memories from childhood were of family trips from his home in Savannah, Georgia, 220 or so miles to Athens for University of Georgia home football games. “My dad went to school there, so we went to watch games almost every weekend, Fogarty said. “We’d go up on Friday, watch games all day long on Saturday and then come back home on Sunday. Some of my best memories were going to those games with my dad and my brother. We’d go outside the hotel and throw the football around, and watch other games.” Once he started playing on Fridays and the time came when he would go to school, it was family that helped make the decision an easy one. “It came down between Stetson and Mount Union, and I didn’t want my family to have to fly up North all the time to see me play,” Fogarty said. “I wanted them to be able to watch me play.”
And play he has. The Hatters have played a total of 26 games since the rebirth of the program in 2013. During that short time, only four players have started every game. That elite group includes Fogarty, who has answered the bell each and every Saturday despite suffering a torn ligament in his shoulder during that 2013 season that resulted in major surgery. Sometimes just doing your job every day doesn’t result in many accolades, but in football, the ability to push through injuries to contribute on game day is a special quality. “To me, it is just one of those stats,” the soft-spoken Fogarty said. “I just want to be on the field to do whatever I can do to help the team win. I have had some injuries here and there that have kept me out of practice for a day or two, but I want to do anything I can do to be on the field on Saturday. “The shoulder surgery was tough, especially that first year having to play with the torn ligament, but it is what it is. I just had to fight through it.” 3
FOGARTY IS THE ANCHOR OF THE LINE
Patrick Fogarty The Hatters went into 2015 with five players on the ironman list, but defensive back Chris Atkins fell by the side at Mercer when he was unable to play. That leaves just Fogarty, quarterback Ryan Tentler, linebacker David Lazear and safety Ryan Powers. Fogarty said not having Atkins at Mercer was a blow for the team. “I know that was tough for him because he is a warrior,” Fogarty said. “He is one of the toughest guys on the team. We were all a little disappointed for him, but he will be back soon.” As the elder statesman of the pipeline of talent from his hometown – there are eight players on the Stetson roster from Savannah – Fogarty said he is glad to see the number of young players in the program from that area. “Coach (Brian) Young recruited me, and he is from Groves High School in Savannah,” Fogarty said. “I was recruited pretty late, and he heard about me through someone that I knew. He has been able to recruit a lot of players from there because he is from there. I feel like Savannah is
an under-recruited area. We have a lot of guys on this team from there, and they are all good kids.” His first taste of big-time football came at Benedictine Military, where his position coach was Ken Cooper, who played at the University of Georgia for legendary coach Wally Butts. Cooper went on to serve on the coaching staff of Vince Dooley from 1963 to 1970, before going to Ole Miss, where he served as an assistant for Billy Kinard and, briefly, for another legend, Johnny Vaught. He became the Rebels’ head coach in 1974 and led the program there for four years. Fogarty said having the chance to play for Cooper was incredible. “It was awesome,” Fogarty said. “He is one of the best coaches I have ever had, and he is such a gentleman. He is hardnosed on the practice field and will make you work but, off the field, he is one of the nicest guys. He is full of knowledge.” While at Benedictine, Fogarty also picked up other skills, as a part of the ROTC program, that have helped him deal with the rigors of life as a student-athlete at Stetson. 5
FOGARTY IS THE ANCHOR OF THE LINE a shoutout,” Fogarty said. “Cole is a very humble guy and doesn’t like being in the spotlight. He always wants to give credit to the team, and a lot of guys appreciate that. To know that those guys appreciate us gives us extra motivation to block hard for them during games. They treat us right.” Fogarty, who will receive his degree in sport business in May, plans to return for his fifth season in 2016 while working toward an MBA. But, before his focus turns toward grad school, he has some goals for this season – specifically, winning a PFL title. “We know it will be tough because we are playing the four or five best teams in the league right at the start,” Fogarty said. “The loss to Mercer opened our eyes, but we are using it as a positive. “This team is closer, as a unit, and we have each other’s backs more than we had the first couple of years. We are more confident, but we know we still have a lot of work to do if we are going to win a championship.” To win that championship, Fogarty knows the team will have to count on the influx of young, talented players, especially on the offensive line. He said he was impressed with that group from the very first day. “The first thought is that these guys are a lot bigger and move a lot better than we did that first year,” Fogarty said. “They came in and have done a great job of pushing the older guys. They are hard workers, and that is good for the future of the program.”
“The discipline you have for your study schedule, that definitely helped prepare you for the academics here,” Fogarty said. “The leadership of the ROTC program helped to prepare you for all of the other things that go on – in school and out of school.” In his time at Stetson, Fogarty has played for three different offensive line coaches and, in addition, spent the spring after his shoulder surgery as the de facto line coach before Tim Holt arrived in the late spring. All of those changes have given the veteran linemen a sense of family all their own. “It has definitely been different because every coach has a little bit different style,” Fogarty said. “We have all done a good job on the offensive line of adapting to the different coaching styles and playing through it.” With the arrival of Brian Boerboom, a former All-Conference offensive lineman at Nebraska, as offensive line coach, Fogarty said the focus has been on toughness. “Coach Boerboom emphasizes playing with a physicality, a toughness,” Fogarty said. “He wants us to play nasty, and play until the whistle blows.” As part of the extended offensive line family, running backs are often close with their linemen. That is certainly the case between the Hatters’ Cole Mazza and his offensive line. Mazza makes a point of giving credit for his successes to the line, as he did after his three-touchdown performance in the season-opener. “We all appreciate Cole, and all of the other running backs, when they give us
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MEN’S BASKETBALL ANNOUNCES 2015-16 SCHEDULE
Corey Williams Stetson men’s basketball has announced its 2015-16 schedule, a slate that currently features 13 home games and road contests at West Virginia, Marquette and Richmond, and a holiday tournament in Las Vegas. Third-year head coach Corey Williams and his staff put together a schedule that is both balanced and challenging for a Hatters team that will feature four freshmen, four sophomores and zero seniors. “It’s a very competitive schedule; I like it,” Williams said. “It gives us some challenging games both at home and on the road. If we play at a high level, we’ll have an opportunity to be successful.” While the 2015-16 Hatters do not have a single senior on their roster, Williams isn’t concerned about the challenges this schedule may pose for what is still a young team. “The guys are a year older, and they’ve been in our system for a couple of years now,” he said. “They understand how I want to play, and they’re more in tune with how I want them to play. As we
gain more experience, we can schedule more challenging teams. But you have to be realistic with where your teams is, and I’m pretty realistic about where, and who, we are.” By the end of November, the Hatters will be well-acquainted with road trips, as Stetson will play six of its first seven games away from the Edmunds Center, including the season opener Nov. 15 at Richmond. Several Marquee nonconference games highlight Stetson’s 2015-16 schedule. The Hatters will visit West Virginia (Nov. 20), host UCF (Dec. 2), and travel to Milwaukee Wisc., for a lateJanuary meeting with Marquette (Jan. 27). Stetson is also participating in the Las Vegas Invitational, an NCAA-exempt tournament that includes road games at Richmond and West Virginia, and a pair of neutral-site games in Las Vegas over Thanksgiving weekend. The Hatters will battle Bethune-Cookman (Nov. 26) in Game One at the Orleans Arena, and face either East Carolina of Sam Houston State on Nov. 27. See Page 13 for a full schedule
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WOMEN’S BASKETBALL ANNOUNCES 2015-16 SCHEDULE Lynn Bria
Fourteen regular-season home games, road contests at Georgia and Tennessee, and a trip to the San Juan Shootout highlight the 2015-16 Stetson University women’s basketball schedule. The slate features five games against 2015 NCAA Tournament participants, including nonconference contests against Minnesota and Boise State, and a matchup with the Tennessee Lady Vols on Dec. 30. The Hatters will be navigating a challenging schedule despite having a very young team that features no seniors and five freshmen. “If you want to be really good and prepared for your conference schedule, you have to play quality teams,” Stetson head coach Lynn Bria said. “We play a lot of games on the road, so our freshmen are not going to be freshmen for very long, but I think it is going to be good for us. We are going to play in some tough environments. Our nonconference schedule is one of the toughest that we have had.”
Stetson opens the regular season with back-to-back games on consecutive days. The Hatters will be home on Nov. 14 against Trinity Baptist before traveling to Athens, Georgia. to face the Georgia Bulldogs on Nov. 15. A week later, the Hatters will travel to Puerto Rico for the San Juan Shootout. The prestigious tournament over Thanksgiving break will feature matchups against Minnesota on Nov. 27 and Boise State on Nov. 28. In December, Stetson will host the 28th annual Hatter Classic as Georgia Southern and Georgia State will provide the competition. On Dec. 30, the Hatters will visit Thompson-Boling Arena for a contest against eight-time national champion Tennessee. The Lady Vols advanced to the NCAA Elite 8 this past season. Stetson will ring in 2016 with a New Year’s Day matinee against Hampton at the Edmunds Center, which will conclude nonconference play. See Page 13 for a full schedule
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MEN’S AND WOMEN’S BASKETBALL SCHEDULES MEN’S BASKETBALL
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Date Opponent Time Nov. 15 % at Richmond 5:00 Nov. 17 at The Citadel 6:00 Nov. 20 % at West Virginia 7:00 Nov. 23 Fort Valley State 8:00 Nov. 26 % vs. Bethune-Cookman 9:00 Nov. 27 % vs. East Carolina or Sam Houston State 2:30/5:00 Nov. 30 at Florida International 7:00 Dec. 2 UCF 8:00 Dec. 5 at Tennessee State 3:00 Dec. 14 Tennessee State 7:00 Dec. 19 at IPFW 1:00 Dec. 22 at Georgia Southern TBA Dec. 30 Florida Tech 1:00 Jan. 2 Webber International 1:00 Jan. 6 * North Florida 7:00 Jan. 9 * at Florida Gulf Coast 7:00 Jan. 14 * USC Upstate 7:00 Jan. 16 * NJIT 3:30 Jan. 21 * at Lipscomb 7:30 Jan. 23 * at Kennesaw State 4:30 Jan. 27 at Marquette 9:00 Jan. 30 * at Jacksonville 7:00 Feb. 1 * at North Florida 7:00 Feb. 6 * Jacksonville 3:30 Feb. 11 * at NJIT 7:00 Feb. 13 * at USC Upstate 2:00 Feb. 18 * Kennesaw State 7:00 Feb. 20 * Lipscomb 3:30 Feb. 22 Bethune-Cookman 8:00 Feb. 25 * Florida Gulf Coast 7:00 Mar. 1 Atlantic Sun Quarterfinals TBA Mar. 3 Atlantic Sun Semifinals TBA Mar. 6 Atlantic Sun Championship TBA
Date Opponent
% - Continental Tire Las Vegas Invitational (Nov. 26 & 27 at Orleans Arena) * - Atlantic Sun Conference game All times Eastern and subject to change Home games in Green
$ San Juan Shootout, Guaynabo, Puerto Rico % - 28th annual Hatter Classic * - Atlantic Sun Conference game All times Eastern and subject to change Home games in Green
Nov. 14 Trinity Baptist
Time 10:15 am
Nov. 15 at Georgia
2:00 pm
Nov. 21 at Bethune-Cookman
3:00 pm
Nov. 23 Armstrong Atlantic
5:30 pm
Nov. 27 $ vs. Minnesota
4:45 pm
Nov. 28 $ vs. Boise State
4:45 pm
Dec. 2 UCF
5:30 pm
Dec. 4 Flagler
11:00 am
Dec. 13 at Eastern Illinois
2:00 pm
Dec. 15 at UNC Wilmington
7:00 pm
Dec. 20 % Georgia Southern
1:00 pm
Dec. 21 % Georgia State
1:00 pm
Dec. 30 at Tennessee
7:00 pm
Jan. 1 Hampton
2:30 pm
Jan. 9
* at Florida Gulf Coast
4:00 pm
Jan. 16 * NJIT
1:00 pm
Jan. 18 * USC Upstate
7:00 pm
Jan. 23
* at Kennesaw State
2:00 pm
Jan. 25
* at Lipscomb
7:30 pm
Jan. 30
* at Jacksonville
1:00 pm
Feb. 4
* North Florida
7:00 pm
Feb. 6
* Jacksonville
1:00 pm
Feb. 10 * at North Florida
7:00 pm
Feb. 13 * at USC Upstate
4:30 pm
Feb. 15 * at NJIT
7:00 pm
Feb. 20 * Lipscomb
1:00 pm
Feb. 22 * Kennesaw State
5:30 pm
Feb. 27 * Florida Gulf Coast
1:00 pm
Mar. 4 Atlantic Sun Quarterfinals
TBA
Mar. 9 Atlantic Sun Semifinals
TBA
Mar. 13 Atlantic Sun Championship TBA
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WILKES JOINS ATLANTIC SUN HALL OF FAME
The Atlantic Sun Conference announced its inaugural Hall of Fame Class that includes six former standouts: Andrea Congreaves, Corey Kluber, Chris Sale, Hal Sutton, Monique Tubbs and Glenn Wilkes Sr. An eight-member Hall of Fame Committee representing each of the A-Sun’s member institutions selected its Class of 2015 from a list of 19 nominees. The A-Sun Hall of Fame was created to annually honor former student-athletes, coaches, administrators and others whose collective accomplishments have contributed to the conference’s successful achievement of its mission of “Building Winners for Life.” Glenn Wilkes Sr. was one of the most highly respected coaches in the history of college basketball. Ranked among the NCAA’s Top 25 Division I coaches in all-time coaching wins (552) prior to his retirement, he roamed the Stetson sidelines for 36 years, taking the program from NAIA to Division I and leading the Hatters to an unparalleled era of success.
Wilkes now belongs to eight halls of fame, including the College Basketball Hall of Fame, in which he was most recently inducted in November 2014. “This honor excites me because I was so involved in the A-Sun,” said Wilkes. “It was always my hope that from my time in the conference I was not necessarily considered just a good coach, but also a good administrator, particularly in the latter part of my career.” In addition to his accomplishments on the court, Wilkes was a pioneer in growing the game through instruction off the hardwood. He served the basketball community by sponsoring the first coaching clinic in the South, the first basketball clinic for boys, the first basketball clinic for girls, and the first officials’ clinic. He is also the author of seven basketball-related books. Wilkes also served as Stetson’s director of athletics for 23 years. Wilkes’ players earned a total of 10 All-America awards, and 17 played professionally.
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KLUBER JOINS ATLANTIC SUN HALL OF FAME
Four years into his major league career, Corey Kluber’s story is one of making the most of his opportunities. Since 2013, he has entrenched himself as an ace in the Cleveland Indians’ starting rotation, but his star began to shine at Stetson. Primarily used as a reliever in 2005, Kluber moved into the Hatters’ rotation in ‘06 and posted a 6-5 record with a 3.61 ERA in 14 starts. He became a star in 2007, earning A-Sun Pitcher of the Year honors after posting a 12-2 record with a sparkling 2.05 ERA in 17 starts. Three times that year, he was named A-Sun Pitcher of the Week and, at the end of the year, he was a first team All-Conference selection in addition to earning second team AllRegion from the ABCA and second team All-America from Collegiate Baseball. His 117 strikeouts in 2007 still stand as the fifth-most in a season in Stetson history. “Corey arrived at Stetson as a very good pitcher and continued to improve every day,” said Stetson Director of Athletics Jeff Altier. “His work ethic and daily commitment to improving earned him
the 2007 Atlantic Sun Pitcher of the Year, and last year’s 2014 Cy Young Award. I am a big fan of Cory Kluber because he has earned every award bestowed upon him through hard work, discipline and the commitment to improve every day. Stetson University takes great pride in knowing that Pete Dunn and our baseball program helped Corey along his path to becoming the ‘best of the best!’” After the San Diego Padres used a fourth-round draft pick on Kluber in 2007, he perfected his craft in the minor leagues for three years until a trade to the Cleveland Indians in 2010 led to his MLB debut on Sept. 1, 2011. Once he arrived in the big leagues for good in 2013, Kluber has continued to capitalize on his opportunities. In 2013, he posted an 11-5 record with a 3.85 ERA in 24 starts, then followed up in 2014 with an 18-9 record, three complete game performances, a 2.44 ERA, 269 strikeouts, the most wins in the American League, and the American League Cy Young Award.
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OCTOBER SCHEDULES OCTOBER MASTER SCHEDULE DATE EVENT
Fri. 2-4 Fri. 2 Fri. 2 Fri. 2 Sat. 3 Sat. 3 Sat. 3 Sun. 4 Sun. 4 Sun. 4 Fri. 9-11 Fri. 9 Fri. 9 Fri. 9 Sat. 10 Sat. 10 Sat. 10 Sat. 10 Sat. 10 Sun. 11-13 Sun. 11 Tue. 13 Fri. 16-19 Fri. 16-18 Fri. 16 Fri. 16 Sat. 17 Sat. 17 Sat. 17 Sat. 17 Sun. 18 Sun. 18 Wed. 21 Wed. 21 Fri. 23-27 Sat. 24 Sat. 24 Sat. 24 Sun. 25 Mon. 26-28 Tue. 27 Fri. 30 Fri. 30 Sat. 31 Sat. 31 Sat. 31 Sat. 31
Women’s Golf at Forest Oaks Fall Classic Cross Country at FSU Invitational Women’s Soccer at North Florida Volleyball at Lipscomb Football vs. Dayton Men’s Soccer vs. Florida Gulf Coast Lacrosse at Florida Southern Volleyball at NJIT Women’s Soccer vs. South Carolina State Baseball vs. Canadian Junior National Team Women’s Tennis at Wake Forest Invitational Women’s Soccer vs. Kennesaw State Volleyball vs. USC Upstate Lacrosse at Navy Rowing at Chattanooga Head Race Cross Country at ASICS Embry-Riddle Classic Volleyball vs. Kennesaw State Football at Jacksonville Men’s Soccer at Jacksonville Men’s Golf at Donald Ross Intercollegiate Women’s Soccer vs. USC Upstate Men’s Soccer at UCF Men’s Tennis at USTA/ITA Regional Women’s Tennis at Bedford Cup Women’s Soccer at NJIT Volleyball at Jacksonville Football vs. Campbell Volleyball at North Florida Men’s Soccer at North Florida Lacrosse at Florida Softball vs. SJRC Women’s Soccer at Lipscomb Volleyball vs. Florida A&M Men’s Soccer at USC Upstate Women’s Golf at Palmetto Intercollegiate Football at Valparaiso Women’s Soccer vs. Florida Gulf Coast Volleyball at Florida Gulf Coast Lacrosse at Jacksonville, vs. Tampa Men’s Golf at FGCU Classic Men’s Soccer vs. St. Leo Cross Country at Atlantic Sun Championship Volleyball vs. Jacksonville Women’s Soccer at Atlantic Sun Championship Football vs. San Diego Volleyball vs. North Florida Men’s Soccer vs. Lipscomb
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LOCATION
Greensboro, N.C. Tallahassee, Fla. Jacksonville, Fla. Nashville, Tenn. DeLand, Fla. DeLand, Fla. Lakeland, Fla. Newark, N.J. DeLand, Fla. DeLand, Fla. Winston-Salem, N.C. DeLand, Fla. DeLand, Fla. Annapolis, MD. Chattanooga, Tenn. Daytona Beach, Fla. DeLand, Fla. Jacksonville, Fla. Jacksonville, Fla. Morganton, N.C. DeLand, Fla. Orlando, Fla. Gainesville, Fla. Fort Myers, Fla. Newark, N.J. Jacksonville, Fla. DeLand, Fla. Jacksonville, Fla. Jacksonville, Fla. Gainesville, Fla. DeLand, Fla. Nashville, Tenn. DeLand, Fla. Spartanburg, S.C. Kiawah Island, S.C. Valparaiso, Ind. DeLand, Fla. Fort Myers, Fla. Jacksonville, Fla. Estero, Fla. DeLand, Fla. Jacksonville, Fla. DeLand, Fla. TBA DeLand, Fla. DeLand, Fla. DeLand, Fla.
TIME
All Day 6:20 PM 7:00 PM 7:30 PM 1:00 PM 7:30 PM TBA 12:00 PM 1:00 PM 4:00 PM TBA 7:00 PM 7:00 PM TBA TBA 7:20 AM 3:00 PM 6:00 PM 8:00 PM All Day 1:00 PM 7:00 PM TBA TBA 7:00 PM 7:00 PM 1:00 PM 5:00 PM 7:00 PM TBA 1:00 PM 1:00 PM 6:00 PM 7:00 PM All Day 2:00 PM 7:00 PM 7:00 PM TBA All Day 7:00 PM TBA 7:00 PM TBA 1:00 PM 3:00 PM 7:30 PM
THE EDMUNDS CENTER
Intercollegiate athletics is often called the front porch to a university. It is usually one of the most visible aspects of a university and can have a huge impact on alumni engagement, incoming student applications, and the vibrancy and excitement around campus. Outside of these benefits to the university and community are the invaluable resources provided to our student-athletes. We set our student-athletes up to be successful and outstanding representatives of the university after graduation with leadership training, experience in working effectively with teams, time management and communicating effectively, as well as teaching many other skills. The Edmunds Center is the centerpiece to this front porch of Stetson University. We serve around 60,000 guests annually, and use it for much more than our sporting events. When high school students visit campus on Hatter Saturdays, they are introduced to the campus through the Edmunds Center. We host events for students like Convocation, the Homecoming Pep Rally and others, all
leading up to when our students become Stetson graduates at Commencement. On top of the benefits the Edmunds Center provides our students, it is also the home court for Men’s Basketball, Women’s Basketball and Indoor Volleyball, it holds offices for many of our coaches and athletic administration, study halls for student-athletes, hospitality for donors, and serves as a meeting place for faculty and staff. Our Athletic Director Jeff Altier knows very well the impact the Edmunds Center has on campus and on our studentathletes. As a former Stetson Baseball player and holding multiple positions within the athletic department as well as occupying many offices in the Edmunds Center, Altier has seen what the Edmunds Center can be and has a strong vision and plan to get the facility there. “Stetson Athletics is ready to take that next step and really make a difference, not just in the lives of our student-athletes, but in the lives of our alumni, our students, our community, our fans, our faculty and our staff,” Altier says. “We have started to 21
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THE EDMUNDS CENTER
move in the necessary direction with the first-class Athletic Training Center serving as home to Football, Women’s Soccer, Men’s Soccer and Lacrosse, our beautiful baseball stadium of Melching Field at Conrad Park, the Cooper Beach Volleyball Pavilion, Patricia Wilson Field for softball, and the announcement of the Sandra B. Stetson Aquatic Center to give our rowing team one of the best facilities around. The missing piece to really bring our vision together and help take us where we need to be is the Edmunds Center. “The Edmunds Center can and will be so much more with our plans for a $5 million renovation, with upgrades ranging from the Hall of Fame room to the lobby to the seating,” said Altier. The Hall of Fame room he mentions is currently a room on the second level used for study halls and meetings and to entertain donors. His vision for the room includes adding windows to overlook the court, putting graphics on the walls and installing a physical Hall of Fame to commemorate those student-athletes who have given so much to Stetson. In addition to the Hall of Fame room, Altier also has his eyes set on the installation of a video board to add to the in-
game experience for fans and supporters. There are also plans to upgrade the reserved seats, which will make for a better experience at all events held inside the venue, along with adding a practice court, which will increase the amount of space available for university and community events. Other improvements include a lobby renovation, locker room upgrades, wall coverings, lighting, flooring and the addition of an elevator. “We know where we want to go and how we need to get there,” says the athletic director. “The Edmunds Center is so important to this university and our community, this is something that needs to be done. Making the Edmunds Center a top-notch facility will impact many aspects of the university and will make a huge difference in the world of Stetson Athletics. These upgrades will help us in recruiting, alumni engagement, community engagement, and team and staff morale. The renovated Edmunds Center will help us attain the success we plan to achieve; it will help us win. This will be a facility our alumni, supporters, students and staff will be proud of, a place people want to be, and we could not be more excited about this project!” 23
COMPLIANCE CORNER As part of the Compliance Office’s continuing rules education programming, we will be publishing an NCAA Compliance specific column in each issue of Hatters Extra. These columns will discuss trending topics in NCAA legislation that are directly related to those individuals classified as “Boosters”. Under NCAA rules, you are a Stetson University Booster if you a) are a member of any booster group that supports Stetson Athletics; b) have made financial contributions to the Stetson University Athletics Department; c) have assisted in the recruitment of Stetson University student-athletes; d) provide or have helped arrange benefits for enrolled student-athletes or their families; e) participated as a student-athlete of Stetson University; or f) have been a Stetson Athletics season ticket holder. Once you have been identified as a booster, you retain that identity indefinitely, regardless of your relation with our athletics program. In this issue of Hatters Extra, we will review social media and recruiting. Social media has become a hot topic in recent months as a result of the fast-evolving social media landscape. Social media platforms have become the preferred method of communication for high school and college-age students, making it a common forum for our prospective studentathletes to chronicle their recruitment experience. As a booster, you are not permitted to engage in any type of recruiting
activity on behalf of our institution that includes interaction with prospective student-athletes through social-networking websites. While interaction with prospective student-athletes on social networks may appear harmless and is likely driven by your pride for Stetson Athletics, it may risk Stetson’s ability to continue the recruitment of such prospects. Boosters are not permitted to use socialnetworking websites such as Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat and Instagram to contact or attempt to correspond with prospective student-athletes. This includes, but is not limited to, posting on a prospective studentathlete’s Facebook wall, direct messaging the prospect on Twitter or publicly interacting with the prospect using a social media network. Your interaction with Stetson Athletics departmental and team social media accounts is welcomed and appreciated! You can find our office on Twitter using the handle @SUCompliance. In addition to assisting Stetson studentathletes, coaches and staff, it is our job to assist you whenever you have questions about NCAA legislation. For more information regarding NCAA rules, please visit our website at www.gohatters.com or contact our office directly at (386) 822-7490 or compliance@stetson.edu. As we tell our coaches and student-athletes, it is always important to ask before you act! Thank you for your continued support of Stetson Athletics and our efforts to remain compliant! 25
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