Keep in mind NCAA bylaws are subject to change and at all times, student-athletes and their parents are encouraged to consult ncaa.org, eligibilitycenter.org and usga.org for all recruiting and amateurism rules questions.
Access the NCAA’s Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete for information related to navigating the initial-eligibility process.
1. Rules of Recruiting
Sample NCAA Important Terms
- Contact: A contact happens any time a college coach says more than hello during a face-to-face meeting with you or your parents off the college’s campus.
- Dead Period: A college coach may not have any face-to-face contact with you or your parents on or off the college campus at any time during a dead period. The coach may write and call you or your parents during this time.
- Evaluation: An evaluation happens when a college coach observes you practicing or competing.
- Official visit: During an official visit, the college can pay for transportation to and from the college for you, lodging and meals (Division I allows for up to three meals per day) for you and your parents or guardians, as well as reasonable entertainment expenses including three tickets to a Division I home sports event or five tickets to a Division II home sports event. Before a college may invite you on an official visit, you must provide the college with a copy of your high school transcript and ACT, SAT or PLAN score (test scores are required for Division I only) and register with the NCAA Eligibility Center.
- Recruited: If a college coach calls you more than once, contacts you off campus, pays your expenses to visit the campus, or in Divisions I and II, issues you a National Letter of Intent or a written offer of financial aid, you are considered to be recruited.
- 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 three complimentary admissions to a Division I home athletics contest or five complimentary admissions to a Division II home athletics 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 during an unofficial visit is during a dead period.
- Verbal commitment: A verbal commitment happens when you verbally agree to play sports for a college before you sign or are eligible to sign a National Letter of Intent. The commitment is not binding on you or the school and can be made at any time.
- Walk-on: Someone who is not typically recruited by a school to participate in sports and does not receive a scholarship from the school, but who becomes a member of one of the school’s athletics teams.
NCAA Division I Recruiting Calendars
Freshman & Sophomore Year
- Recruiting materials: You may receive brochures for camps, questionnaires, NCAA materials and nonathletics recruiting publications.
- Telephone calls: You may make calls to the coach at your expense only. A college coach cannot call you.
- Off-campus contact: None allowed.
- Official visit: None allowed.
- Unofficial visit: You may make an unlimited number of unofficial visits, except during a dead period.
Junior Year
- Electronic correspondence (e.g., text messaging, instant messaging, email): All forms of electronic correspondence permissible beginning September 1 of your junior year. Correspondence must be private until you provide a written commitment to the NCAA school.
- Recruiting materials: You may begin receiving recruiting materials September 1 of your junior year.
- Telephone calls: You may make calls to the coach at your own expense.
- College coaches may call you: After September 1, at the beginning of your 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, except during a dead period.
Senior Year
- Electronic correspondence (e.g. text messaging, instant messaging, email): All forms of electronic correspondence permissible September 1 of your junior year. Correspondence must be private until you provide a written commitment to the NCAA school.
- Recruiting materials: Allowed.
- Telephone calls: You may make calls to the coach at your expense.
- College coaches may call you: No earlier than September 1 at the beginning of your junior year. Unlimited calls after you sign a National Letter of Intent, written offer of admission and/or financial aid; OR after the college receives a financial deposit from you.
- Off-campus contact: Allowed.
- Official visit: Allowed beginning opening day of classes your senior year. You may make only one official visit per college and up to a maximum of five official visits to Division I colleges. There is no limit to official visits to Division II colleges.
- Unofficial visit: You may make an unlimited number of unofficial visits, except during a dead period.
- 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. Unlimited number of contacts and evaluation after you sign a National Letter of Intent, written offer of admission and/or financial aid; OR after the college receives a financial deposit from you.
Source: AJGA