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Updated 04/17
Authorized Travel Personnel on Team Trips (Regular Season)
Each team should provide to the appropriate sports supervisor, prior to the start of each season, an official travel party list. If the Head Coach wishes to take additional Kansas Athletics personnel on any trip, the sport supervisor must approve that travel. In any situation when a Kansas Athletics staff member travels with the team, that staff member should have job responsibilities to assist the team or should arrange meetings with institutional personnel at the competition site in order to utilize the trip as professional development.
Team members (Big 12 conference rules set forth the travel squad size for conference play)
Coaching staff (head coach and assistant coaches)
Support staff:
- Athletics Trainer(s)
- Team manager(s)
- Strength and Conditioning coach*
- Media Relations Staff *
- Athletic Administration (as approved by Athletics Director)
- Sport Supervisor
- Video Staff *
- Academic Counselor*
- Ticket Office*
- Radio Network*
- Compliance*
- Team Physicians (as determined to be necessary by the Head Team Physician)
*When space available and approved by Sport Supervisor
Charter Flights
Charter flights for team travel may include additional personnel who would not be permitted to travel with a team on a commercial flight. The size of the charter aircraft and team priorities will determine the number of additional personnel that can be added to each flight.
Additional personnel on charter flights could include the following individuals:
- Chancellor and spouse
- Athletics Director and spouse
- Spouse of Head Coach and any individuals identified by the Head Coach’s Employment Agreement
- Faculty Athletics Representative
- Williams Educational Fund Donors and personnel, as approved by Athletics Director
Spouses and immediate family members (unmarried children living at home) of coaching staff have first priority for travel on a team charter flight if space is available. Other individuals (spouses, immediate family members, or one guest) of travel party members may only be permitted on the team charter with approval of the sport supervisor and only if space is available. If space is available, IRS rules for taxation of the flight will be applied, which could include the employee reimbursing Athletics for the cost of guest’s travel on the flight or the employee being taxed the value of the flight.
Commercial Flights
Kansas Athletics will not pay the expenses for an employee’s guest to travel with the team when the team travels by commercial flight during the regular season (unless the employee’s employment agreement supersedes this policy). The employee will be responsible for any actual costs incurred by his/her guest (including but not limited to airfare, parking fees, etc.) when traveling by commercial flight.
Postseason Championship Travel
The NCAA Travel Handbook sets forth policies governing transportation to NCAA meets, tournaments and committee meetings. In general, the NCAA guarantees payment of round-trip transportation expenses for all qualified teams and individual competitors to the site of the competition. Ground transportation costs are submitted by the Travel Manager to the NCAA for reimbursement. All air travel reservations must be made through the NCAA Travel Service.
The following groups (in prioritized order) may constitute the Official Party for the post-season athletics event activities:
- Athletics team:
- The athletics team includes the number of varsity athletes permitted by the NCAA or conference for a championship squad.
- Coaching staff:
- The coaching staff includes the head and assistant coaches. Unless superseded by an employment agreement, the head and assistant coaches may bring a spouse and any unmarried children living at home or may bring one guest at the recommendation of the Athletics Director. In addition, spouses of varsity athletes may be included at the recommendation of the Head Coach with the approval of the Athletics Director. All guest travel expenses constitute taxable benefits to the coaches.
- Essential athletics staff:
- Essential athletic staff may include the Athletics Director, sport supervisor, team trainer, team strength and conditioning coach, team academic counselor, or others with sport specific responsibilities and such Athletics support staff, as the Athletics Director deems necessary for the event. Spouses and unmarried children living at home of essential athletic staff or one guest of the staff member may be included at the recommendation of the Athletics Director. All guest travel expenses constitute taxable benefits to the employee.
- Chancellor’s group:
- The Chancellor’s Group includes the Chancellor and such other members of the Chancellor’s staff, as the Chancellor may deem appropriate.
- Invited guests:
- Invited Guests and Essential Personnel may include the Governor, the Chair of the Board of Regents, the President of KUEA, the President of KUAA, the Chair of the Kansas Athletics Athletic Advisory Committee, donors, and Chancellor’s designees, along with spouses.
- Spirit squad:
- Spirit Squad and Band member participation is determined by NCAA rules. Support by the Athletics Department will include transportation, meals, and lodging consistent with NCAA expense allowances.
- Band
Employee Guidelines
Certain benefits allowed by the NCAA to student-athletes are explicitly prohibited to employees despite their inclusion as a member of the official travel party. Except where specific exceptions are made within this policy, travel by individual employees is governed by Kansas Athletics travel policy.
The following rules and regulations apply to expenses incurred by employees while traveling as an official member of the team’s travel party:
- The Director of Athletics or a Head Coach may be reimbursed for expenses incurred in the entertainment of officials of competing schools, as approved by the Chancellor and university policy.
- Employees traveling with the team are not eligible for any per diem allowances for incidental expenses permitted by the NCAA for student-athletes.
- Employees traveling with the team are not eligible for porter expenses for each day in transit.