A/PPS 03.01 - Business Operations

POLICY STATEMENT

1. This policy provides the necessary procedures for business operations and the budget policy used in the Department of Athletics. Budget summaries will be provided to department heads and head coaches on a quarterly basis. The Athletic Business Office can be consulted on the status of each budget at any time during the year. All purchases must comply with the university policy. Department heads and head coaches are responsible for staying within the limits of the approved budget.

BUDGETING CALENDAR

1. The following are approximate dates pertaining to the budget calendar:

   1. Beginning of Fiscal Year: September 1.

   2. Beginning of Budget Drafts: Mid-April.

   3. Final Budget Approval for Up-coming Year: Mid-July.

   4. Final Day to Request Requisitions in Current Year: Mid-August.

   5. Fiscal Year Officially Ends: August 31.

PURCHASING PROCEDURES

1. The Texas State University Department of Athletics is committed to following all State of Texas, university, conference, and NCAA rules and regulations related to travel and per diem expenditures for student-athletes. The department policy is generated from the university Travel Office Policies and Procedures and UPPS No. 05.06.02, Travel Policies Regarding University Representative Performance Organizations.

2. Purchase Request Forms

   The Department of Athletics follows the guidelines set forth in UPPS No. 05.02.02, Texas State Purchasing Policy. In order to gain more control over expenditures within the Department of Athletics, purchasing goods or services will be done by preparing a Department of Athletics Purchase Request form. The completed form should be submitted to the Athletics Business Office for review and approval. These purchasing policies and procedures apply to operating accounts and restricted accounts.

   The Purchase Request form should be submitted for all purchasing requests (purchase orders, procurement card (p-card) purchases, Print Shop, Staples, bookstore, interdepartmental transfers (IDTs), requests for reimbursements, etc.). Every purchase must have prior approval before the purchase can be made. After approval, a carbon copy of the request form or the completed purchase order will be forwarded to the staff member listed on the “person ordering” line of the form. Travel is not included on this form (see Sections 04. and 05. for additional information).

   The following information must be included when completing the Purchase Request form for processing:

   1. the purchase must be described in detail and descriptions must be included (i.e., quantity, unit price) when appropriate. This document will be used to prepare the university purchase order, if necessary.

   2. in the “reason for purchase” section, provide details on the overall business purpose of the purchase (e.g., team equipment, office supplies, etc.).

   The Department of Athletics will not be responsible for any charges for goods and services billed without the use of a Purchase Request form that are violations of university policy. Should such an instance occur, the purchase will be the responsibility of the individual who placed the order.

3. P-Card Purchases

   The Athletics Business Office will submit all new P-card applications for department staff. Any Athletics P-card holder is expected to follow all policies and procedures as outlined in the Procurement Card Manual. P-card statements, receipts, and a completed transaction log must be turned in to the Athletics Business Office on a monthly basis. The P-card holder and account manager must sign the P-card transaction log before submitting it to the Athletics Business Office. It is imperative that the Athletics Business Office retains these copies for audit purposes and to keep track of expenditures made on a monthly basis.

4. Purchase Orders

   Any goods or services not acquired using a P-card or another university service (i.e., IDT, print shop) must be done with a purchase order. An approved university purchase order serves as the only official purchasing document to buy goods and services. Therefore, no purchasing commitments and promises should be made with vendors before purchase orders are approved. When the completed purchase order has been received, the purchase order information should be faxed or otherwise communicated to the vendor to place or confirm an order.

   It is the employee’s obligation to communicate the complete order to the vendor. Additionally, the purchase order represents a commitment of funds. For the vendor to receive payment for these items, the vendor must follow the billing instructions on the purchase order and send the invoice to the appropriate address. If an invoice is not sent, the vendor will not get paid.

5. Electronic Sourcing (e-sourcing)

   For purchases requiring competitive solicitation, the electronic sourcing (e-sourcing) system will be utilized by the Athletics Business Office. Formal biddings are required, and the bid documents must be posted to the Electronic State Business Daily for purchases that exceed $25,000. For assistance with the bidding process, contact the assistant athletics Business Manager in the Athletics Business Office.

6. Procedures for Reimbursement

   Reimbursements for business expenses paid by personal funds are governed by FSS/PPS No. 03.16, Reimbursement of University Business Expenses Paid from Personal Funds. Requests for reimbursement should be submitted to the Athletics Business Office by completing a Purchase Request form. The original receipts must be submitted alongside the Purchase Request form and must be itemized.

   Employees within the Department of Athletics should make every effort to purchase goods and services through regular purchasing channels. Reimbursements should be infrequent in occurrence and the result of extraordinary circumstances that prevented the use of regular purchasing polices.

7. Alcohol Purchases

   Texas state law dictates that no funds controlled by the Department of Athletics may be spent on alcohol. Alcohol purchases should be made on rare occasions and must first be approved by the director of Athletics. Once the purchase is approved, the Business Office will process an IDT to Special Projects in order to transfer the appropriate amount back to the Athletic Department funds.

8. Petty Cash

   The Department of Athletics follows the guidelines set forth in UPPS No. 03.01.16, Petty Cash and Change Funds for all petty cash and change funds. The Athletics ticket office maintains a change fund for usage at various ticketed athletic events. The Athletics Business Office maintains a petty cash fund for official visit expenses, game day parking and program banks, and other departmental emergencies. The petty cash funds are kept in combination safes when not in use.

   A departmental staff member needing petty cash should contact the Athletics Business Office to complete a Petty Cash Request form. The Petty Cash Request form includes documentation of the person who receives the petty cash and justification of the purchase. On the business day following the purchase, the staff member must return any unused cash and receipts. Receipts will be submitted to accounting and charged to the appropriate fund and cost center to reimburse department petty cash.

   To receive petty cash for official visit expenses, the visit must be approved by the Athletics NCAA Compliance Office. Once approved, coaches will notify the Athletics Business Office, via email, which student-athletes will require host money and how much petty cash will be required for official visit recruit meals and expenses (other than host money). The student-athletes must pick up the money in the Athletics Business Office and read and sign the Student Host form. This form will serve as the documentation submitted to accounting to reimburse petty cash. The Athletics Business Office does not require receipts returned from host money.

9. Student-Athlete Insurance

   The Department of Athletics maintains a secondary insurance policy for athletically related injuries for all student-athletes, Strutters, cheerleaders, student sport managers, graduate assistant coaches, and student athletic trainers. The policy is an aggregate deductible and is administered by the NCAA. The secondary policy pays only for amounts not paid or payable by the student-athlete’s primary insurance. In accordance with the NCAA insurance policy, secondary insurance will pay the balance after the primary insurance payment and the primary insurance contract allowable, but only up to usual and customary charges for covered expenses. No payment will be made with respect to any amount in excess of the usual and customary charge.

   Claims are filed by the assistant Athletics Business Manager. Liberty Mutual pays claims directly to providers and sends an Explanation of Benefits (EOB) to the provider and to Texas State. Texas State will reimburse Liberty Mutual for claims paid on student-athletes’ behalf. Claims are handled on a case-by-case basis.

   The athletic training staff has procedures in place to ensure the compliance of student-athletes insurance maintenance and use and provides the rules regarding the secondary process, including the distribution of secondary billing instructions to each prospective health care provider (see athletic training portion of policies and procedures manual for additional information). The athletic training staff is also responsible for completing the appropriate insurance, proof of loss, and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Authorization for Use and Disclosure of Information form for each athletic injury. Upon completion, this paperwork is given to the assistant Athletics Business Manager to match with provider claims and is sent to Liberty Mutual.

TEAM TRAVEL PROCEDURES

1. Travel Expense Policies and Procedures

   The Department of Athletics is committed to following all State of Texas, university, conference, and NCAA rules and regulations related to travel and per diem expenditures for student-athletes. Department policy is generated from the university Travel Office Policies and Procedures page and UPPS No. 05.06.02, Travel Policies Regarding University Representative Performance Organizations.

   All travel must be pre-approved. All team travel arrangements for away contests are itemized, trip-by-trip, during the budget formulation process. Coaches are then expected to remain within established budget limitations. Each sport’s head coach, or designee, is responsible for coordinating travel arrangements for their team. In general, travel arrangements should include the following:

   1. complete travel authorization paperwork;

   2. arrangement for lodging and team meals;

   3. team travel itinerary;

   4. team travel advances; and

   5. a complete report of all expenses submitted to the Athletics Business Office within three working days after return from trip.

2. Travel Advances

   Team travel advances are governed by UPPS No. 05.06.04, Travel Advances. Travel advance requests should be submitted to the Athletics travel coordinator at least two weeks prior to the trip. The Travel Office has implemented the use of travel advance credit cards to pay for majority of the expenses (hotels, meals, incidental expenses) during team travel. These cards are managed and distributed by the Athletics Business Office. Cash advances should only be used for meal per diems and limited incidental expenses. The traveler must return all original receipts to the Athletics travel coordinator within three business days of returning from the trip.

3. Pre-season Media Days

   Any pre-season media days requiring coach and student-athlete travel will be treated as team travel. A cash or card advance may be obtained through normal team travel procedures for meals and incidental expenses, as long as the coach and player travel together. If student-athletes and coaches travel on their own, the travel will be considered individual travel and reimbursed according to individual travel rules and regulations.

4. Transportation

   The head coach, in consultation with the associate Athletics Director for Business Operations and appropriate sport supervisor, selects the mode of transportation for team travel. When choosing transportation, the following factors are considered: safety, expense, availability, distance, numbers of travel days, and number in travel party. For ground transportation, charter buses are used when time, funds, and distance allow. Commercial and charter airline transportation is reserved for traveling long distances or for minimizing the number of class and study days missed.

   If passenger vans are used, the number of passengers traveling in the van must not exceed nine, including the driver, and equipment and baggage should not be piled higher than seat level (see UPPS No. 05.05.04, 15-Passenger Vans for more information). For trips that exceed 350 miles one-way, there must be two qualified and university-approved drivers available during the trip. Drivers should take breaks every two hours. Teams must spend an additional night if they are unable to return to campus before midnight on the day of return. All drivers must be approved by the Athletics Business Office prior to team travel departure. At no time are student-athletes permitted to drive vehicles utilized for team travel. Seat belts shall be worn at all times by all occupants.

5. Meals

   The athletic administration expects all head coaches to provide student-athletes the opportunity to eat nutritional pre- and post-competition meals. Meal allowances for team travel follow the same GSA policies and procedures as those for individual travel. Head coaches may arrange to pay for team meals as a group in lieu of giving meal per diems to each student-athlete. When cash per diems are provided in lieu of a meal, student-athletes and staff are required to sign for the amount of cash received. If, as a part of a game guarantee or entry fee, the host team provides breakfast, lunch, or dinner to the travel party, it is not permissible to provide an additional meal or meal allowance.

6. Lodging

   Lodging allowances for team travel follow the same GSA policies and procedures as those for individual travel. Student-athletes should be assigned no more than three to a room, with a roll-away bed for rooms occupying three student-athletes. The head coach, or designee, should request rollaway beds at the same time lodging reservations are secured. In addition, the head coach, or designee, should ensure all in-room long distance telephone and pay-per-view movie services are blocked for use by student-athletes.

7. Length of Travel

   All team travel departures and returns should occur within 48 hours of the scheduled contest. Team travel occurring outside of 48 hours of the scheduled contest must be approved, prior to making travel arrangements, by the associate Athletics Director for Business Operations. Head coaches are to carefully consider missed class days when scheduling travel departures and returns in order to minimize missed class days.

8. Team Entertainment

   The director of Athletics, or designee, is authorized to approve reasonable expenditures for team entertainment when the team is involved in home and away competitions. This authorization includes approval for team members and those individuals traveling with the team as members of the official travel party. All approved entertainment expenditures must be paid directly by the Department of Athletics, in accordance with NCAA rules and regulations. Per diems cannot be given for entertainment expenses.

RECRUITMENT AND OTHER INDIVIDUAL TRAVEL

1. The Department of Athletics is committed to following all State of Texas, university, and NCAA rules and regulations related to travel and per diem expenditures for individual travel. The department follows the guidelines set for in the university Travel Office Policies and Procedures. There are no advances for recruiting or other individual travel. Advances are allotted to team travel only.

   All travel must be pre-approved. These requirements apply to any travel sponsored by Texas State for a current employee, current student, or third party (prospective employee, prospective student-athlete, consultant, contractor, or guest speaker) even if there will be no reimbursement to the traveler. This approval covers an employee for liability purposes with worker’s compensation insurance.

   Department of Athletics staff should contact the Athletics Travel Coordinator to initiate the approval and travel arrangement process when they need to travel or bring a third party to campus for university business.

   The Athletics Travel Coordinator will not make any arrangements for prospective student-athlete official visits unless the visit has been approved by the Athletics Compliance Office.

   The university Travel Office allows direct billing for certain approved business travel expenses. The Athletics Travel Coordinator will coordinate all direct billing needs for individual travel for the Department of Athletics. A departmental staff member needing direct billing for university business travel should contact the Athletics Travel Coordinator as early as possible to coordinate these travel arrangements.

REVIEWERS OF THIS PPS

1. Reviewer of this PPS includes the following:

   Position	Date
   Director, Athletics	November 1 E3Y

CERTIFICATION STATEMENT

This PPS has been approved by the following individuals in their official capacities and represents Texas State Athletics policy and procedure from the date of this document until superseded.

Director, Athletics; senior reviewer of this PPS

President