A reminder to college athletes at the Trials

[rainbowgirl28]

Dear Coaches,

For the Olympic Trials, USATF will include in the packet of every entered athlete currently ranked in the top 50 in the world in any event a check made out to the athlete for $1,000 to cover expenses for coming to the Trials (i.e. transportation, housing, food). If the athlete advances in an event which begins before the off days and concludes after the off days, the athlete may be eligible for additional funds to address their extended stay. Also, athletes who make the finals and go through the Ambassador Program may be eligible for further funds to compensate for the extension to their stay.

Please be aware that if your institution has paid the athlete’s way to the Trials and the athlete cashes/deposits the USATF check in the entry packet and/or any further USATF compensation for travel expenses at the Trials, this may affect the athlete’s eligibility, due to NCAA legislation regarding extra benefits. In addition, please be aware that the above situation could lead to a conflict with an institution’s own internal accounting policy, even if an athlete has exhausted his/her eligibility. We recommend that you check with your institutional compliance officer and/or your accounting office to determine the best course of action to handle the USATF funds.

This correspondence is provided for informational purposes only. Again, please confer with your institutional compliance officer and accounting office regarding NCAA legislation and institutional accounting issues.