Community Service Request Form

This form, when signed by the promotional agency involved and approved by the Athletic Department, allows the University of Tennessee to grant permission for a student-athlete’s name, picture, or identity to be used in a charitable community service or promotional activity.

*Please note, this form serves as a REQUEST ONLY. We do not guarantee the participation of a particular student-athlete or team.*    

* The deadline for applying for a student-athlete appearance is three weeks prior to the date of the event.

* Student-athletes will not be asked to do community service during the first week of classes or within two days of, and including, exam periods.

* A student-athlete may not make an appearance that will interfere with his/her class attendance, workout schedule, athletic practice or study hall.

* No individual student-athlete shall be asked to participate in community service during the season of his/her sport.

* Community service appearances must take no more than three hours, including no more than one hour of travel time round-trip.

* Student-athletes may not accept extra benefits. Examples of extra benefits include T-Shirts, CD’s, tapes, posters, money, gift certificates or anything else of value. A student-athlete is permitted to accept mileage compensation at the state rate of $0.32 per mile and share in a meal with the charitable organization. (See NCAA Bylaw 16.02.3)

* If a student-athlete is to be compensated for travel expenses please make the check out to the student-athlete, but send the check to the Thornton Athletics Student Life Center. DO NOT GIVE THE STUDENT-ATHLETE MONEY AT THE EVENT.

* A student-athlete may not make an appearance that is sponsored or co-sponsored by an organization whose interest is contrary to NCAA Bylaws (e.g. casinos; gambling is prohibited by the NCAA).

* Any event scheduled for a student-athlete must have a beneficial purpose. Student-athletes will not make appearances merely to sign autographs or have their pictures taken.

* Advertisements of the student-athlete that include but are not limited to print, radio and/or television must be approved by the Athletics Department prior to advertisement. No changes may be made once the advertisements are approved.

* A representative from the Athletics Department and/or Thornton Athletics Student Life Center may accompany student-athletes to their community service appearance.

* All appearances are subject to prior approval by the Athletics Department, which expressly reserves the right to re- fuse any request for any reason. The Athletics Department also reserves the right to substitute a student-athlete for another if the need arises.

* Student-athletes may not participate in activities that support a commercial product/service for the fundraising effort of a high school or fundraising for any group consisting of prospective student-athletes (eg., club soccer teams).

* Student-athletes may appear at a commercial location to support the fundraising efforts of UT or a charitable organization provided the commercial location does not promote the event in any manner.

Please Note: Being open to substitutes will make your request easier to fulfill.

**If any advertisement, promotion, flyer etc. are to be used please submit by uploading a file below. **    

NCAA Bylaw 12.5.1.1 permits a charitable or educational agency to use a student-athlete’s name, picture, or appearance to support its charitable or educational activities, provided the following conditions are met:

The student-athlete received written approval from his/her director of athletics;

The specific activity or project in which the student-athlete participates does not involve co-sponsorship, advertisement, or promotion by a commercial agency other than through the reproduction of the sponsoring company’s regular trademark or logo on printed materials such as pictures, posters, or calendars. The company’s emblem, name, address, and telephone number may be included with the trademark or logo. Personal names, messages, and slogans (other than an officially registered trademark) are prohibited; 

The name or picture of a student-athlete with remaining eligibility may not appear on an institution’s printed promotional item (e.g., poster, calendar) that includes a reproduction of a product with which a commercial entity is associated if the commercial entity’s officially registered regular trademark or logo also appears on the item; 

The student-athlete does not miss class; 

All monies derived from the activity go directly to the charitable or educational agency; 

The student-athlete may accept legitimate and normal expenses from the charitable or educational agency related to participation in such activity, provided it occurs within the state or, if outside the state, within a 100-mile radius of the member institution’s campus; 

The student-athlete’s name, picture, or appearance is not utilized to promote the commercial ventures of any nonprofit agency; 

Any commercial items with names or pictures of student-athletes (other than highlight films or media guides per Bylaw 12.5.1.9) may be sold 

only at the member institution at which the student-athlete is enrolled, institutionally controlled (owned and operated) outlets or outlets controlled by the charitable or educational organization (e.g., location of the charitable or educational organization, site of the charitable event during the event); and 

The student-athlete and authorized representative of the charitable or educational agency sign a release statement that ensures that the student-athlete’s name, image, or appearance is used in a manner consistent with the requirements of this section. 

NCAA Bylaw 16.02.3
An extra benefit is any special arrangement by an institutional employee or a representative of the institution’s athletics interests to provide a stu- dent-athlete or the student-athlete’s relative or friend a benefit not expressly authorized by NCAA legislation. Receipt of a benefit by student-athletes or their relatives or friends is not a violation of NCAA legislation if it is demonstrated that the same benefit is generally available to the institution’s students or their relatives or friends or to a particular segment of the student body (e.g., foreign students, minority students) determined on a basis unrelated to athletics ability. (Revised: 1/10/91) 

Note: Attending University of Tennessee student-athletes may not give recruiting presentations or have direct recruiting contact with any student who has started classes for the ninth grade. NCAA regulations preclude its members from participating in or providing memorabilia for fund-raising activities that either directly or indirectly benefit any student who has started the ninth grade.

If you have any questions about this form, please contact the Compliance Office at 865-974-3871.

For questions regarding student-athlete appearances, please contact: 

Rew Woodruff
Assistant Director
Career Development & Life Skills Thornton Athletics Student Life Center
rwoodru3@utk.edu
(865) 974-2795