NCAA Bylaw 16.12.1.5

Summary
Coaches are now allowed to take their student-athletes out to dinner for an occasional meal, but it must be within a reasonable distance from the campus. Friends of the Program are not allowed to do this.

Also, please remember that incoming freshman are considered prospects until they have started classes full-time, or until they have participated in a regular squad practice or competition.

The text of the Bylaw
"A student-athlete or the entire team in a sport may receive an occasional meal in the locale of the institution on infrequent and special occasions from an institutional staff member. An institutional staff member may provide reasonable local transportation to student-athletes to attend such meals. A student-athlete may also receive an occasional family home meal from a representative of athletics interests on infrequent and special occasions under the following conditions:

1. The meal must be provided in an individual's home (as opposed to a restaurant) and may be catered; and
   
   
2. A representative of the institution's athletics interests may provide reasonable local transportation to student-athletes to attend the meal function only if the meal function is at the home of that representative."

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q: May a recruit who is on campus for an official visit attend an occasional home meal being held for the team at a coach's house?
A: Yes, one meal per visit may be held at the home of a staff member.

Q: May an occasional home meal be held in the lounge of a dorm, or must it be at someone's home?
A: New legislation allows coaches or institutional staff members to take a student-athlete out for an occasional meal (or host a meal in the lounge of a dorm). Parents or Friends of the Program still may only host occasional meals at their homes, but they may be catered.

Q: Can we have a team barbeque before the season starts to welcome the freshmen to the team?
A: Freshmen are still considered prospects until they are registered and enrolled in a minimum full-time program of studies and have started classes, or until they have participated in regular squad practice or competition. So, if the freshmen haven't done either one of these, then freshmen can't attend the occasional meal.

Q: May an alum take our team out to dinner for an occasional meal dinner during an away-from-home contest?
A: The alum can pay for a meal in a restaurant, since it is a meal that the team would be receiving already. It is not considered an occasional home meal, however, since the meal didn't take place at the alum's home.

Q: Can our team have a get-together the evening before a game at a teammate's apartment, and count it as an occasional meal even though it's not at a coach's home?
A: Yes, under the new legislation it is permissible to hold an occasional team meal at a student-athlete's apartment.