Athletics Travel Procedures

Pre-loaded Travel Cards

Pre-loaded Travel Cards (for meals only) may be available for individual team members while traveling for an athletics event. These travel cards are used for individual team members to pay for meals. The allowance amount for meals is determined by the Athletics Department budget but cannot exceed the General Services Administration (GSA) per diem rates per day for meals and incidental expenses. All per diem allocations provided to student-athletes must be in accordance with NJCAA regulations.

Pre-loaded Travel Cards must be reconciled after completion of the trip. Itemized receipts must be provided.

Expense Report for Athletics Team Travel

The coach is responsible to complete an Expense Report in Workday for all travelers after the trip. In the memo field of the Expense Report, the Spend Authorization number must be noted followed by a comma and the trip name.

Example: AUTH-07-00001309, Soccer Travel Price

The Expense Report must have the following documents attached to the submission:

• Student Athletics Student Acknowledgment of Funds Received Form
• Final Travel Itinerary with Official Travel Party Roster

No further reimbursement is given to an individual when a group meal is provided. When completing the Expense Report in Workday, record group meals using the Spend Category for Group Meals.

Required Travel Documentation

Prior to travel, the coach must provide a complete and final copy of the Travel Itinerary with Official Travel Party Roster to the Athletics Director. The Travel Itinerary with Official Travel Party Roster must be dated, contain a complete travel schedule, and include the following information:

• Date and time of departure and departure location.
• Mode of transportation, name of carrier, and carrier contact information.
• Lodging information including address, and telephone number.
• Rooming list for all travelers.
• Contact numbers for coaching staff and other official staff members traveling with the team.
• Date and time of return and return location.
• Official Travel Party Roster must list each person traveling with the team must be listed by name and purpose of travel. Only persons whose names are on the approved list may travel with the team. This includes guests traveling with the team in addition to all student-athletes, coaches and staff members.

Transportation Methods for Athletics Team Travel

The method of transportation is selected by the head coach and approved by the Athletics Director and must have availability of budgeted funds. When choosing transportation, the following factors must be considered: Safety, impact on academics, number of travel days, expense, availability, distance, and budget.

Student-athletes not traveling with the team either to or from a competition, must sign a Release of Liability Waiver which must be approved prior to travel by the coach, Athletics Director, or a parent if student-athlete is under 18 years of age If a non-TMCC employee is traveling with the team they must sign a Release of Liability Waiver and must have prior approval from the Athletics Director or designee.

Bus or Shuttle Transportation Services

• Bus or shuttle transportation services may be used to travel to away venues transport to hotels from airports, and transport from hotels to playing venues.
• P-Cards are not allowed for payment for bus services. A requisition and purchase order must be opened for all bus services prior to use regardless of amount.
• BCN will check each bus company’s safety rating and verify appropriate insurance is in place for NSHE requirements.
• Tipping of drivers may not exceed 20 percent. Please complete this Gratuity Form to document the tip.

Air Travel

• Air travel via commercial airlines is allowable for beyond ten hours and compliant with NSHE and TMCC policy.

College or Personal Vehicle Use

• Transporting students in a personal vehicle is not recommended as there is no liability protection from the State for the use of personal vehicles.
• Student-athletes may not drive the other athletes as part of team travel.
• Refer to the Vehicle Use Policy and Procedures on the Auxiliary Services  website for information on the use of College vehicles.

Lodging for Athletics Team Travel

• Lodging rates should not exceed current NSHE rates unless approved by the TMCC President or designee. Rates vary according to the destination city. For accurate lodging rates, please check the General Services Administration (GSA) per diem rates website. Rates are based on a per person, per day.
• As a general guideline, no more than 3 student-athletes may be assigned to a room, one per bed. Special circumstances may occasionally arise in which more than 3 to a room will be authorized.
• Single rooms are reserved for head coaches only except in a situation where travel circumstances and/or gender mix dictates other arrangements.
• Sales tax is not to be paid on in-state hotel charges. The university is a tax-exempt institution.

Meals

• Group meals may be provided and are encouraged for staff and student-athletes in place of cash per diem.
• Group meals may be purchased on the coach’s P-Card. A list of all attendees and their purpose of travel (coach, trainer, student-athlete, etc.) must be submitted with an itemized receipt.
• The total may not exceed the per diem per day rate amounts for the number of people traveling. No further reimbursement is given to an individual when a group meal is provided. When completing the Expense Report in Workday, record group meals using the Spend Category for Group Meals.
• The allowance amount for meals is determined by the Athletics Department budget but cannot exceed the per day for meals General Services Administration (GSA) per diem rate and incidental expenses. The Athletics Department may deem a lessor per diem amount as the maximum allowable due to budget availability but the amount cannot be greater. All per diem allocations provided to student-athletes must be in accordance with NJCAA regulations.
• Tips on group meals may not exceed 20%.

Administrative and Recruiting Travel

• All employees are reminded per college policy, the least expensive method of travel should be used whenever possible.
• All individual administrative and recruiting travel must follow the guidelines above.
• Travel for incoming recruits must follow the guidelines in the NJCAA regulations.

Volunteer or Guest Travel

Volunteers are defined as non-paid workers. The Athletics Director or designee must approve volunteer travel with the team. For insurance purposes, all volunteers must be signed up as volunteers with the department of athletics prior to traveling with the team. The volunteer must complete the Volunteer Guest Travel Waiver Agreement.

Guests are defined as non-employees/non-volunteers who have a business purpose for traveling (e.g. donor cultivation or donor appreciation) with the Athletics Team and must be pre-approved by the Athletics Director.

• Guests must meet all timelines as outlined by the Athletics Department, provide an itinerary in advance, and sign a Volunteer Travel Waiver form in advance of traveling.
• Guests are required to pay for all travel expenses incurred unless otherwise notified by the Athletics Director.
• Children under 12 years of age are not allowed to travel with the Athletics Team without permission of the Athletics Director. If there is a possibility of traveling with children between the ages of 12 and 18, the Athletic Department needs to be informed in advance in order to obtain clearance per NJCAA regulations.
• Emergency contact information needs to be provided to Athletics in advance.