Unit Policy
Title
Department of Athletics: Policy on Facility Use
Introduction
Purpose
This Policy elaborates on the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (“UNC-Chapel Hill” or “University”) Facilities Use Policy by establishing processes to reserve use, priority of access, and rules of use for Department of Athletics (“Athletics”) spaces.
Scope
This applies to all individuals or groups seeking to use and reserve Athletics spaces.
Definitions
- Compliance Office: the Athletics Department Compliance Office.
- Department of Sports Medicine: the Sports Medicine unit affiliated with the University and Athletics.
- Facility: any space, venue, or certain part thereof that is owned, managed, and/or operated by the Department of Athletics.
- Facility Scheduler: an individual designated by the Department of Athletics to oversee and facilitate scheduling matters for the Department.
- Facility User: means anyone using an Athletics Facility. This includes both External Facility Users and Internal Facility Users.
- External Facility User: an individual, group, or organization:
- that is not officially affiliated with or recognized by Athletics;
- whose primary purpose of using a Facility is or would be to advance the interests of an individual, group, or organization other than Athletics or the University; and/or
- that does not otherwise meet the definition of an Internal Facility User.
- Internal Facility User:
- an individual affiliated with Athletics, or a team, student-athlete organization, or other group officially recognized by or affiliated with Athletics, whose use of a Facility is for a purpose consistent with and primarily intended to advance the mission of Athletics; and/or
- one or more individuals employed by or otherwise officially affiliated with Athletics whose use of a Facility is consistent with the fulfillment of their official responsibilities for Athletics.
Policy
Policy Statement
General Responsibilities
Anyone using an Athletics Facility must agree to follow all University and Athletics policies. They must:
- ensure their activities and conduct do not conflict with the mission or values of Athletics or the University;
- ensure their activities and conduct are consistent with the purpose for which use of and/or access to the Facility was granted;
- avoid causing unnecessary harm to the Facility or any equipment; and
- take appropriate precautions to foster an environment of safety and security.
Department of Athletics
Athletics must designate at least one Facility Scheduler to manage Athletics Facility scheduling matters. There must always be at least one Facility Scheduler, but Athletics may periodically change the Facility Scheduler. The Facility Scheduler will serve as the primary point of contact to:
- answer questions from individuals, organizations, or entities wishing to reserve an Athletics Facility;
- ensure compliance with this policy; and
- retain any contract(s) and related materials for reserving an Athletics Facility.
Internal Facility User
An Internal Facility User may be an individual or multiple people. In the event an Internal Facility User involves multiple people, the primary point of contact is responsible for:
- reserving Facility space; and
- ensuring compliance with this Policy.
- This may be designated to another individual in writing to the Facility Scheduler.
External Facility User
An External Facility User must designate a legal agent who is responsible for:
- reserving Facility space;
- serving as the primary point of contact for Athletics and the Facility Scheduler;
- ensuring proper safety measures and personnel are taken;
- ensuring compliance with this Policy; and
- This may be designated to another individual in writing to the Facility Scheduler.
- paying for any damage done to the Athletics Facility during the reserved event.
How to Reserve an Athletics Facility
All requests to reserve an Athletics Facility must be made in writing. Internal Facility Users may submit either a varsity practice schedule or submit the form attached to this policy. External Facility Users must submit the form attached to this policy to request the use of Athletics Facilities.
Requests must include whether the Facility User wants their event to have any of the following:
- Food or Beverages;
- Alcohol;
- Fireworks or other Pyrotechnics;
- Video or Audio Recording;
- University name, logo, or trademark;
- Signage or other Displays; and/or
- Sports Medicine location, equipment, or personnel.
Processing a Request
Prioritization of Use
The Facility Scheduler must assess all requests for use of Athletics Facilities following Athletics’ priority of use. Athletics prioritizes the following activities from highest priority to lowest priority:
- Graduation.
- Official varsity athletic competition.
- Official varsity athletic practice or other official varsity athletic activities by a team during their competitive season.
- Official varsity athletic practice or other official varsity athletic activities by a team outside of their competitive season.
- Other events invited by the University or Department of Athletics.
- Other use by Internal Facility Users.
- Other use by External Facility Users.
Communicating Decisions
After applying this prioritization to submitted requests, the Facility Scheduler should create a list of proposed reservations. Before approving any request, the Facility Scheduler must confirm with the Athletics Compliance Office that the proposed reservations do not conflict with any other University policies or other athletic governing association rules.
The Facility Scheduler will contact the requester by email with:
- An approval, contingent on the execution of a Facilities Use contract, or
- A rejection of the request.
- Athletics may reject a request for any or no reason.
Finalizing a Request
Facilities Use Contract
Internal Facility Users do not need to complete a Facility Use Contract. Internal Facility Users may instead rely on the approval email from the Facility Scheduler, but must not exceed the scope of their approved request.
External Facility Users will need to work with Athletics and the Office of University Counsel to complete a Facility Use Contract outlining the agreed-upon terms and conditions of the approved request.
Only the approved User is allowed to use the Athletics Facility as approved. They may not convey their interest to another person or group.
Fees and Costs
Appendix A outlines fees for using Athletics Facilities. Athletics may assess additional costs for any field lighting, public address system or other loudspeaker use, video display, music, broadcasting, recording, or associated equipment and/or technical services as well as set up before an event or clean up following an event.
Athletics may require an External Facility User to provide a security deposit prior to using the Athletics Facility. Additionally, the External Facility Users must pay all fees and known costs at least 30 days prior to using the Athletics Facility.
Following each event, Athletics must inspect the used facility to:
- determine any damage(s) to any part of any Facility, equipment, or other Athletics property;
- determine any clean up, maintenance, replacement(s), repair(s), and/or other service(s) that are necessary; and
- assess any cost(s) or expense(s) associated to the applicable External Facility User.
The Facility Scheduler will timely inform the External Facility User of the assessed charges by email. The External Facility User must pay any assessed charges for clean up or damage within 30 calendar days following the receipt of the assessment email.
Insurance and Indemnification
The External Facility User must acquire liability insurance from an insurance company acceptable to Athletics for the approved event. They must provide a certificate of the liability insurance at least 30 calendar days before the event.
Each External Facility User must provide Athletics with a signed document (in a form provided by, or otherwise acceptable to the University’s Office of University Counsel) from each individual participating in the Facility use (or a participating individual’s parent or guardian if such individual is below the legal age required to execute such a document) that, at a minimum, releases Athletics, the University, and all individuals affiliated with the event from liability related to the Facility use, and confirms the individual’s compliance with the rules of any applicable athletic governing association related to Athletics and/or the University.
Permits, Licenses, and Other Authorizations
Each Facility User is responsible for obtaining any necessary permits, licenses, or authorizations to meet their needs. These could include, but are not limited to, fire permits, liquor licenses, amplified sound, or temporary fencing.
Cancelling a Reservation
If an External Facility User wants to cancel an already approved event, they must email the Facility Scheduler with their intent to cancel. Any expenses already incurred by Athletics or the University in connection with the event will still be charged to the External Facility User.
Athletics may cancel, modify, or delay an event without penalty to Athletics or the University if they determine that use of an Athletics Facility:
- constitutes a hazard or otherwise poses a threat to the safety or security of any individual, Facility, Athletics, or the University;
- disrupts operations of Athletics or the University; or
- causes harm to any Facility, equipment, or other property of Athletics or the University.
Using an Athletics Facility
Modifications and Damages
Without written permission from the Facility Scheduler, Facility Users are expressly prohibited from:
- modifying, altering, or otherwise changing any structure(s), surface(s), or other similar feature(s) of any Athletics Facility; or
- building or placing any building, structure, trailer, or other similar large object in or around any Athletics Facility.
If any Athletics Facility or equipment is damaged during the event, the External Facility User must disclose the damage to the Facility Scheduler.
Programs and Minors
All events using Athletics Facilities must follow the University’s Policy on Protection of Minors.
Parking
All events using Athletics Facilities must follow the University’s Ordinance Regulating Traffic and Parking. Unless written permission is given by the Facility Scheduler or included in the Facility Use Contract, a Facility User will not have limited or exclusive access to any parking areas.
Food and Alcohol
Unless written permission is given by the Facility Scheduler or included in the Facility Use Contract, a Facility User will not be allowed to serve food, beverages, or alcohol during their event. Any use of alcohol must follow the University’s Alcohol Policy.
Safety
External Facility Users are responsible for ensuring adequate security measures and personnel during their events. The Facility Scheduler will inform the External Facility User of any additional security measures required by Athletics. The External Facility User must comply with requests for additional security measures and additional costs remain the responsibility of the External Facility User.
External Facility Users are responsible for ensuring adequate safety measures and personnel during their events including, but not limited to:
- equipment operators;
- medical personnel; and
- lifeguards.
Related Requirements
External Regulations
Contact Information
Primary Contact
Name: Casey Carrick
Telephone: 336-250-1300
Email: ccarrick@email.unc.edu