December 12, 2011

To Cal Fans, Alumni and Boosters:

We appreciate all of your efforts on behalf of the University of California and are thankful for your support of our football team during this successful season. We are pleased that you will be a part of the Cal contingent in San Diego and we anticipate that the days leading up to the Holiday Bowl will be filled with excitement and fun. However, we ask that as you enjoy all of the bowl activities you and your families stay mindful of our need to maintain compliance with NCAA rules.

During Cal's visit to San Diego, it is likely that you will come into contact with student-athletes and/or their family members and relatives. Please be reminded that by virtue of your relationship with the university, you and your family are considered representatives of Cal's athletics interests. As such, providing a benefit or privilege of any kind to a student-athlete and/or their family members and relatives is prohibited per NCAA rules and regulations. Furthermore, any actions on your part deemed as impermissible per NCAA rules will jeopardize the eligibility of the student-athlete for the Holiday Bowl and beyond, and subject the institution to further sanctions.

The following is a non-exhaustive list of situations you should avoid as it relates to our players and their families during our time at the Holiday Bowl:

• Providing any form of transportation (ride downtown, ride from the airport, ride to/from game)
• Complimentary drinks, snacks or meals (including tailgates)
• Reduced price or discount access to bowl events or local attractions
• Access to events otherwise not available to the general public, regardless of whether or not admission is being charged
• Any items or services of value (free parking, telephone usage, or any form of entertainment)
• Discounts on merchandise or services
• Arrangement for preferential or reduced cost lodging

In addition, should you have concerns that any representatives of our athletics interest (alumni, boosters, fans, other staff members) may be inadvertently engaging in impermissible activities, please do not hesitate to contact me. Our purpose in providing you with this information is to help raise awareness to situations that could result in unintended consequences. The goal of our Compliance Office is to help each and every one of our student-athletes protect and preserve their ability to play the sport they love so dearly, and to safeguard the integrity of the University of California.

We hope you enjoy your time in San Diego. If you have any questions regarding NCAA rules and/or the permissibility of any actions, please do not hesitate to contact me in person (beginning 12/23) or by cellular phone at (510) 326-8119 at any time on the days leading up to the game.

Again, we hope you experience an enjoyable holiday and bowl trip. Go Bears!

Foti Mellis
Sr. Associate Athletic Director
fmellis@berkeley.edu