Recruiting
Recruiting Period Definitions
There are five distinct periods in a recruiting calendar, contact/ recruiting (men’s basketball), evaluation, quiet, dead period, and recruiting shutdown (women’s basketball only). These are defined below:
Contact/Recruiting (men’s basketball) Period:
During a contact period, a college coach may have face-to-face contact on or off-campus with prospective student-athletes or their parents/legal guardians, watch prospective student-athletes compete, visit their high schools, and can call or write prospective student-athletes or their parents/legal guardians.
Evaluation Period:
During an evaluation period, a college coach may watch prospective student-athletes compete, visit their high schools, and call or write student-athletes or their parents/ legal guardians. However, a college coach may not have face-to-face contact with prospective student-athletes or their parents/legal guardians off the college’s campus during an evaluation period.
Quiet Period:
During a quiet period, a college coach may only have face-to-face contact with prospective student-athletes or their parents/legal guardians on the college’s campus. A coach may not watch prospective student-athletes compete or visit their high schools. Coaches can write or call prospective student-athletes or their parents/legal guardians during this time.
Dead Period:
During a dead period, a college coach may not have face-to-face contact on or off-campus with prospective student-athletes or their parents/legal guardians, and may not watch prospective student-athletes compete or visit their high schools. Coaches can write or call prospective student-athletes or their parents/legal guardians during a dead period.
Recruiting Shutdown:
During a recruiting shutdown period, a college coach may not participate in any form of recruiting (contacts, evaluations, official visits, unofficial visits, social media, calls, emails, texting, etc).
Telephone Calls
Outgoing and incoming telephone and video calls are restricted by the below dates.
| Sport | Outgoing Telephone Calls | Incoming Telephone Calls |
|---|---|---|
| Baseball | September 1 - junior year | Anytime |
| Men's Basketball | June 15 - after sophomore year | Anytime |
| Women's Basketball | September 1 - junior year | Anytime |
| Cross Country/ Track & Field | June 15 - after sophomore year | June 15 - after sophomore year |
| Field Hockey | June 15 - after sophomore year | June 15 - after sophomore year |
| Golf | June 15 - after sophomore year | June 15 - after sophomore year |
| Women's Lacrosse* | September 1 - junior year | September 1 - junior year |
| Soccer | June 15 - after sophomore year | June 15 - after sophomore year |
| Tennis | June 15 - after sophomore year | June 15 - after sophomore year |
| Volleyball | June 15 - after sophomore year | June 15 - after sophomore year |
Recruiting Materials and Electronic Correspondence
Recruiting Materials:
Types of recruiting materials that may be provided to a prospective student-athlete includes:
General Correspondence:
There are no restrictions on the design or content of general correspondence and attachments, except that the size of the printed material may not exceed 8.5 by 11 inches when opened in full. There are no restrictions on the design or content of an envelope used to send general correspondence and attachments, except the size of the envelope may not exceed 9 by 12 inches. Allowed to start sending recruiting material on permissible date below.
Camp or Clinic Information:
May be provided at any time.
Recruiting Questionnaire:
May be provided once able to receive electronic correspondence.
Non-athletics Institutional Publications (e.g., official academic, admissions and student services publications published by the institutional and available to all students):
May be provided at any time.
Educational Material Published by the NCAA (e.g., NCAA Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete):
May be provided at any time.
Electronic Correspondence:
Electronic Correspondence (email, text message, direct message on social media, etc.) may be sent to a prospective student-athlete as long as the correspondence must be sent directly to the prospective student-athlete and must be private. Must be the permissible date to receive or send electronic correspondence.
| Sport | Permissible Date to Send to PSA's | Permissible Forms of Electronic Correspondence |
|---|---|---|
| Baseball | September 1 - junior year | Email, text, direct message (Facebook/Twitter/Instagram), instand messenger |
| Men's Basketball | June 15 - after sophomore year | Email, text, direct message (Facebook/Twitter/Instagram), instand messenger |
| Women's Basketball | September 1 - junior year | Email, text, direct message (Facebook/Twitter/Instagram), instand messenger |
| Cross Country/ Track & Field | June 15 - after sophomore year | Email, text, direct message (Facebook/Twitter/Instagram), instand messenger |
| Field Hockey | June 15 - after sophomore year | Email, text, direct message (Facebook/Twitter/Instagram), instand messenger |
| Golf | June 15 - after sophomore year | Email, text, direct message (Facebook/Twitter/Instagram), instand messenger |
| Women's Lacrosse | September 1 - junior year | Email, text, direct message (Facebook/Twitter/Instagram), instand messenger |
| Soccer | June 15 - after sophomore year | Email, text, direct message (Facebook/Twitter/Instagram), instand messenger |
| Tennis | June 15 - after sophomore year | Email, text, direct message (Facebook/Twitter/Instagram), instand messenger |
| Volleyball | June 15 - after sophomore year | Email, text, direct message (Facebook/Twitter/Instagram), instand messenger |
Off-Campus Contact
Off-Campus contact is contact with a prospective student-athlete not at the institution’s campus. The contact is either at the prospective student-athlete’s educational institution, competition site, practice site, etc.
| Sport | First Permissible Date for Off-Campus Contact | Number of Recruiting Opportunities |
|---|---|---|
| Baseball | July 1 - after junior year | 7 (no more than 3 contacts junior or senior year) |
| Men's Basketball | Opening Day of Classes - junior year | 7 |
| Women's Basketball | March 1 - junior year | 7 |
| Cross Country/ Track & Field | August 1- junior year | 7 (no more than 3 contacts junior or senior year) |
| Field Hockey | August 1 - junior year | 7 (no more than 3 contacts junior or senior year) |
| Golf | August 1 - junior year | 7 (no more than 3 contacts junior or senior year) |
| Women's Lacrosse | September 1 - junior year | 7 (no more than 3 contacts junior or senior year) |
| Soccer | August 1 - junior year | 7 (no more than 3 contacts junior or senior year) |
| Tennis | August 1 - junior year | 7 (no more than 3 contacts junior or senior year) |
| Volleyball | August 1 - junior year | 7 (no more than 3 contacts junior or senior year) |
Official Visit vs. Unofficial Visit
Official Visits
Official Visit: During an official visit, the college may provide an expense-paid visit to campus.
First Opportunity for an Official Visit
Sports Other Than Women's Basketball, Baseball, and Women's Lacrosse: August 1 of their junior year in high school.
Baseball and Women's Lacrosse: September 1 of their junior year in high school
Women’s Basketball: January 1 of their junior year in high school
Number of Official Visits
All Sports: An institution may finance one visit to its campus for a prospective student-athlete before October 15 following completion of high school and one visit beginning October 15 following completion of high school, including a visit related to a possible transfer.
An institution may finance one visit to its campus for a prospective student-athlete before October 15 following completion of high school and one visit beginning October 15 following completion of high school, including a visit related to a possible transfer.
Length of Official Visit: It may not exceed two consecutive nights of lodging.
Complimentary Admissions: Five complimentary tickets including the prospective student-athlete. The prospective student-athlete and their guest(s) must show a valid ID (driver license, military ID, passport, student ID, etc.) to receive the hard ticket.
Transportation, Accommodations, and Meals: During an official visit the college can pay for transportation to and from the college for the prospect and up to two guests. In addition to lodging and three meals per day for the prospect and up to four guests.
Unofficial Visits
Unofficial Visit: During an unofficial visit, the prospective student-athlete and their family may visit a college campus at his or her own expense (transportation, accommodations, meals, etc.) an unlimited number of times.
First Opportunity for an Unofficial Visit
Sports Other Than Basketball, Baseball, and Women's Lacrosse: August 1 of their junior year in high school.
Baseball and Women's Lacrosse: September 1 of their junior year in high school.
Men’s Basketball: August 1 of their sophomore year in high school.
Women’s Basketball: May not make a unofficial visit during the July evaluation period.
Complimentary Admissions:
Three complimentary tickets including the prospective student-athlete. The prospective student-athlete and their guest(s) must show a valid ID (driver license, military ID, passport, student ID, etc.) to receive the hard ticket.