Question about NCAA Benefits rule and football gear for players

[TripletDaddy]

For anyone that may be in the know (or have the ability to find out)....how does the NCAA regulate, if at all, the school-branded gear given to players on the team?

I notice that players are always rocking sweatshirts, track suits, beanies, caps, t shirts, etc....of the school for which they play. Also, it seems that family members of players often rock as much gear as the players themselves.

What does the program issue its players each year? Are they basically allowed unlimited sweatshirts and gear? Are they given one set of each item? I noticed that Stafon Johnson has been wearing some custom SC gear, as seen in this photo (custom sweatshirt and sweet robin hood knit cap)




Also, are players allowed to keep their uniforms? I remember reading that the Ute players kept those cool custom Ute cleats from the SUGAR BOWL. Do players generally get to keep their game-day gear? Are they given an option to purchase?

Obviously, the players might be buying all of this themselves, but I would think that most college students can't afford a boatload of $60 sweatshirts and $100 track suits, so it would seem that the NCAA has made an allowance for players to receive these items from the schools.

[SipiTau]

DDD:

I'm pretty sure there's nothing regulating the gear that the schools issues. I've received tons of stuff from the boys. At SC, they issue something for Home & when they're travelling:

Track suit
Polo Shirt
Sweatshirts (embroidered with their number)
Shoes with their numbers

They're SOL if they lose or give away any of the above; they'll only receive one set of each during the season. They receive all the practice gear they want: shorts, tshirts, tights, cleats, gloves, regular sweatshirts, beanies, hats, you name it. I have more SC gear than I'll ever need.

They also keep their bowl game jerseys; my brother gave me his '05 Orange Bowl jersey and one of his NC rings.

[cougjunkie]

My buddy that plays for Oregon State is allowed to go in every two weeks and stock up. But at the beginning of the year they get:

1. Pair of Nike Airmax 360s
2. Track Suit
3. OSU hat
4. OSU beanie
5. OSU winter sideline jacket
6. Team theme T-shirt for the season
7. OSU sweatshirt and sweat pants suit (different than track suit)


Then at the bowl game they get all new gear again. They get new track suits, Bowl game shirts, and last year they got $500 gift card to Best Buy, and Ipod touch for the whole team.

But he told me that he is allowed to go in every two weeks to get new gear, whatever he needs, cleats, gloves, wristbands, practice shorts and shirts like Sipi said can be replenished daily if they want.

[Shaka]

I'm not sure it's regulated other than the fact that they aren't allowed to give a student athlete cash to go buy stuff. That's why gift cards are popular.

I do know that some conferences have rules on this sort of thing. I had a high school teamate that played for Cornell. All of the equipment was issued and everything had to be turned in at the end of the year. This included jock straps. I'm sure they probably got to keep a sweat shirt or something but the rules were very tight.

[Hot Lunch]

I think it all depends on the contract they have with their Shoe/clothes company and the money the program has. SC is a huge name with huge money so they get a ton of swag. Nike wants them decked out in this stuff so they will throw it at them. I don't think they NCAA regulates what they can give players. They get a ton of it.

I think every school is different about the Jersey's. Some let them keep it and some don't.

All teams get a ton of stuff for the bowl game. There is a limit though on bowl games and what can be spent on a player and they gift's/clothing they get.

[TripletDaddy]

Not sure if I ever shared the story of when I was in undergrad. Itula Mili and a couple of other guys were going door to door in our complex selling BYU athletic sweatshirts. They claimed it was a fundraiser to help an asst coach that was battling cancer or something like that. They wanted something like $30-40 for the sweatshirts...some amount that we could not afford. Also, the sizes were too big, anyway, so we passed.

Later on, we found out that Itula Mili was lying and got busted and disciplined...did he have to sit out a game or something? don't remember.

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

Not sure if I ever shared the story of when I was in undergrad. Itula Mili and a couple of other guys were going door to door in our complex selling BYU athletic sweatshirts. They claimed it was a fundraiser to help an asst coach that was battling cancer or something like that. They wanted something like $30-40 for the sweatshirts...some amount that we could not afford. Also, the sizes were too big, anyway, so we passed.

Later on, we found out that Itula Mili was lying and got busted and disciplined...did he have to sit out a game or something? don't remember.

I believe Jenaro Gilford missed a whole season because of this.

[cougjunkie]

I believe Jenaro Gilford missed a whole season because of this.

Gilford missed a season for breaking in to the equipment room and stealing a pair of socks.

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

Bowl gifts for this year:
http://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/article/64318

Both BYU and Utah players will be getting a watch.