Notre Dame is hosting mega 5 star linebacker Manti Te’o from Hawaii this week for the Syracuse game. There was a movement online to have thousands of fans wear lei’s in support of Te’o in the hopes of making the Hawaiian feel at home in South Bend Indiana.
From what I gathered, everything was in place and the plan was going to work (at least the part about wearing the lei’s- not Te’o committing on the spot).
I have just ran across this letter from the University that was posted on a message board today. Pleas read:
Yours is not the first question our office has received regarding this issue. As you can see from the below e-mail communication from our assistant athletics director for compliance, Lisa Deibler to another student on-campus, you may not do anything that will publicize a prospective student-athlete’s visit to our campus. The wearing of lei’s, Hawaiian shirts, or the placement of signs welcoming a particular prospective student-athlete to a game/campus, is not permissible and could seriously jeopardize that prospective student-athlete’s opportunity to attend Notre Dame should he/she decide to do so. Bottom line, an institution may not permit any “publicity” of a prospect being on its campus. What you had planned to do would most definitely be considered publicity and could result in NCAA sanctions. As a result, you are advised to not move forward with your plans.
Thank you for contacting me. Protecting the eligibility of the prospect’s visiting our campus is of great importance and I wouldn’t want the actions of our students (or any other group) to cause problems.
Mike
Michael Karwoski
Associate Athletics Director
University of Notre Dame
Joyce Center
Notre Dame, IN 46556
Phone: (574) 631-4107
So please use caution. You don’t know this prospect? Check out this highlight reel from his junior year:
