What is not allowed concerning off-campus events and prospective student-athletes?

Evaluating or contacting prospective student-athletes off-campus is indeed restricted by NCAA regulations. The NCAA has strict rules governing how coaches and programs can interact with prospective student-athletes to ensure that they can make informed decisions about their recruitment and maintain a level playing field among institutions. Contacting them may include direct communication that could influence their decision-making process, so the regulations limit these interactions to protect both the student-athletes and the integrity of the recruitment process.

In this context, it's important to understand that while coaches may attend off-campus events to observe prospective student-athletes, any evaluation must be done within the guidelines established by the NCAA. Allowing coaches to freely evaluate or contact these athletes could lead to potential abuses of the recruitment process, such as undue pressure on the athletes, which is why it is prohibited.

Other options involve different scenarios, such as providing transportation, meeting with families, and offering scholarships, which have specific rules but may not be completely prohibitive under certain conditions. Thus, the restriction on evaluating or contacting prospective student-athletes underscores the NCAA's commitment to fair and ethical recruiting practices.