NCAA Recruiting Rules
1) A college coach may not have off-campus contact with a recruit until July 1st (June
15th for Division II) after his or her junior year in high school.
a. The athlete may call the coach prior to this date, and the coach may answer, but
not return phone calls.
b. After July 1st, college coaches are allowed one phone call per week to
prospective athletes.
2) A recruit may not practice with an NCAA DI team on a campus visit.
3) A player may not accept payments for playing with any club team.
4) A recruit should not accept any financial rewards for attending an institution outside the
formal scholarship opportunities.
5) Recruitment must be by members of the institution’s academic and athletic staff only.
6) NCAA III rules vary from NCAA rules at the other levels – NAIA and Jr. College
associations are different as well.
7) After September 1st of the student-athlete’s Jr. Year, the prospective student-athlete may
email or correspond via U.S. mail without limitations.
8) Within the context of camp or ODP, coaches may have extended contact with players
regardless of their age.
9) College Coaches are prohibited from speaking with prospective students at game or
practice sites until his or her coach has released the student-athlete.
*Students should obtain a current copy of the NCAA Guide for the College-Bound
Student-Athlete which is published annually by the NCAA as well as a Handbook for
the NAIA Athlete
http://ncaa.org/wps/wcm/connect/public/ncaa/resources
http://naia.cstv.com/
Recruiting Definitions
Contact – a contact occurs any time a coach has any face-to-face contact with you or
your parents off the college’s campus and says more than hello. A contact also occurs if a
coach has any contact with your parents at your high school or any location where you
are competing or practicing.
Contact Period – permissible for authorized athletic department staff members to make
in-person, off-campus recruiting contacts and evaluations.
Dead Period – not permissible to make in-person recruiting contacts or evolutions on- or
off-campus or permit official or unofficial visits.
*February 2-5th, 2009
Evaluation – An evaluation is an activity by a coach to evaluate your academic or
athletic ability. This would include visiting your high school or watching you practice or
compete.
Evaluation Period – permissible for authorized athletics department staff to be involved
in off-campus activities to assess academic qualifications and playing abilities. No inperson, off-campus recruiting contacts with a prospect are permitted.
Quiet Period – a college coach may not have any in-person contact with you or your
parents off the college’s campus. The coach may not watch you play or visit your high
school during this period. You and your parents may visit a college campus during this
time. A coach may write or telephone you or your parents during this time.
Official Visit – any visit to a college campus by you and your parents paid for by the
college. An official visit cannot exceed 48 hours – beginning at the time the prospective
student-athlete arrives on the institution’s campus. An institution may finance only one
visit to its campus for a student-athlete.
The college may pay the following expenses:
- Your transportation to and from the college
- Room and meals (three per day) while you are visiting the college
- Reasonable entertainment expenses, including three complimentary
admissions to a home athletics contest.
Before a college may invite you on an official visit, you will have to provide the college
with a copy of your high school transcript (Division I only) and SAT, ACT or PLAN
score and register with the NCAA Eligibility Center.
Prospective Student-Athlete – you become a “prospective student-athlete” when:
- You start ninth-grade classes, OR
- Before your ninth-grade year, a college gives you, your relatives or friends
any financial aid or other benefits that the college does not provide to students
generally.
Unofficial Visit – Any visit by you and your parents to a college campus paid for by you
or your parents. The only expense you may receive from the college is the three
complimentary admissions to a home athletic contest. You may make as many unofficial
visits as you like and may take those visits at any time. The only time you cannot talk
with a coach is during a dead period.
Verbal Commitment – This phrase describes a college bound student-athlete’s
commitment to a school before he or she signs (or is able to sign) a National Letter of
Intent. A college bound student-athlete can announce a verbal commitment at any time.
While verbal commitments have become very popular for both college-bound studentathletes and coaches, this commitment is NOT binding on either the college-bound
student-athlete or the school. Only the signing of the National Letter of Intent
accompanied by a financial aid agreement is binding on both parties.
“TRYOUTS”
NCAA Division I/III – A member institution, on its campus or elsewhere, shall not
conduct (or have conducted on its behalf) any physical activity (practice sessions/tryout)
at which one or more prospective student-athlete(s) reveal, demonstrate, or display their
athletic ability.
NCAA Division II – A member institution may conduct a tryout of a prospective studentathlete only on its campus or at a site which it normally conducts practice or competition,
under the following conditions:
a) No more than one tryout per prospective student-athlete per institution per
sport shall be permitted.
b) The tryout maybe conducted only for high school seniors who are enrolled in
a term other than the term in which the prospective student-athlete’s high
school’s traditional season in the sport occurs or have completed high school
eligibility in the sport.
$$$ Athletic Scholarships $$$
Full Scholarships Per Program
NCAA Division I
NCAA Division II
NCAA Division III
NAIA
MEN
9.9
6-9 (Various between Universities)
No Athletic Scholarships
12 (Various between Universities)
WOMEN
14
6-9 (Various between Universities)
No Athletic Scholarships
12 (Various between Universities)
Recruiting Rules - SUMMARY/TIMELINE
Sophomore
Year
NCAA DI
Recruiting
Materials
Telephone
Calls
-You may receive brochures for camps and questionnaires.
-You may make calls to the coach at your expense only. The coach may
not call you.
Off-Campus
Contact
-None allowed
Official Visit
-None allowed
Unofficial
Visit
-You may make an unlimited number of unofficial visits
Junior Year
Recruiting
Materials
Telephone
Calls
-You may receive materials Sept. 1st of Junior Year.
Off-Campus
Contact
-Allowed starting July 1 after your Junior Year
Official Visit
-None allowed
Unofficial
Visit
-You may make an unlimited number of unofficial visits
-You may make calls to the coach at your expense only.
-The coach may call you once a week starting July 1st after your Junior
Year.
Senior Year
Recruiting Materials
Telephone Calls
-Allowed
-A coach may call you once per week (beginning July 1 st after Jr. Year).
Off-Campus Contact
-Allowed
Official Visit
-Allowed beginning opening day of classes senior year.
-One official visit per college up to a maximum of five official visits to DI
and DII colleges.
Unofficial Visit
Evaluation &
Contacts
-You may make an unlimited number of unofficial visits
-Up to seven times during your senior year.
How often can a
coach see me or talk
to me off the college’s
campus?
-A college coach may contact you or your parents/legal guardians not
more than three times during your senior year.
Summary for
Division II & III
Recruiting
Materials
Telephone Calls
Off-Campus
Contact
Official Visit
Unofficial Visit
Division II
Division III
-A coach may begin sending
you printed recruiting
materials Sept. 1 of your junior
year in high school.
-A coach may call you once
per week beginning June 15th
between Jr. and Sr. year.
-You may make calls to the
coach at your expense.
-You may receive printed materials
any time.
-A coach can have contact with
you or your parents/legal
guardians off the college’s
campus beginning June 15th
after your jr. year.
A coach is limited to three inperson contacts off campus.
-A college coach may begin to have
contact with you and your
parents/legal guardians off the
college’s campus after your Jr. year.
-You may make official visits
starting the opening day of
classes your senior year.
-One official visit per college
up to a maximum of five
official visits to DI and DII
colleges.
-You may make official visits starting
the opening day of classes your senior
year.
-You may make only one official visit
per college.
-You may make an unlimited
number of unofficial visits at
any time.
-You may make an unlimited number
of unofficial visits any time.
-No limit on number of calls or when
they can be made by the college
coach.
-You may make calls to the coach at
your expense.