NCAA RECRUITING RULES: WHEN CAN COLLEGE COACHES CONTACT HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETES
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Navigating the NCAA recruiting rules, particularly regarding when college coaches can initiate contact with athletes, can be challenging. When can college coaches start contacting their athletes? For most sports, coaches can begin reaching out to athletes starting June 15 after sophomore year or September 1 of their junior year of high school.
More specifically, coach contact depends on your sport, age, division level and the type of communication. We’ve created a comprehensive guide to help you understand when you can expect to start hearing from college coaches, based on your sport and desired division level.
Inside Tip: While neither athletes nor coaches can initiate phone conversations until June 15 after an athlete’s sophomore year, college coaches are still going to build their recruiting classes prior to that date through online research, attending events and communicating with athletes’ coaches. Having an online profile is critical for athletes to get evaluated early. Create your profile today.
UPDATED NCAA RECRUITING RULES CHANGE THE TIMING FOR CERTAIN RECRUITING ACTIVITIES
In 2019, the NCAA approved a set of rules that changed the way Division 1 college coaches can recruit athletes during camps and visits. In an effort to streamline communications and cut back on early recruiting, coaches have to wait on giving scholarship offers to athletes until after their sophomore year of high school. Here’s a quick breakdown of these changes:
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Sports impacted: These rules apply to all D1 sports except football, W/M basketball, softball, baseball and W/M lacrosse. Men’s ice hockey also changed their rules, but the dates are different than those listed below. Get a full breakdown of the recruiting rules for all sports below.
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Official visits: Recruits can take official visits starting August 1 before their junior year of high school.
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Camps and clinics: Recruits and college coaches are not allowed to have any recruiting conversations during camps prior to June 15 after sophomore year of high school.
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Unofficial visits: College athletic departments—this includes college coaches—are not allowed to be involved in a recruit’s unofficial visits before August 1 of a prospect’s junior year. Unofficial visits cannot be scheduled with the coach.If a recruit happens to bump into the coach on campus, they can’t have any recruiting conversations at that time.
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D1 men’s ice hockey only: Men’s ice hockey adopted slightly different rules, recognizing the unique challenge facing elite recruits who are considering turning professional. College coaches can begin to contact recruits starting January 1 of their sophomore year. In addition, recruits can also begin to take unofficial visits at that time. Recruits will need to wait until August 1 of their junior year to take official visits and receive verbal scholarship offers.
NCAA RECRUITING RULES BY SPORT AND DIVISION
Division 1 men’s basketball
Division 1 women’s basketball
WHEN CAN DIVISION 1 COACHES CONTACT ATHLETES?
Generally speaking, D1 coaches can send athletes nonrecruiting material like non-recruiting questionnaires, camp brochures, and non-athletic institutional publications at any time. Serious recruiting contact begins either June 15 after sophomore year or September 1 of junior year, depending on the sport and division level.
Inside Tip: You can always communicate with college coaches through their club or high school coach and send emails and texts to coaches. Note, you won’t get a direct response from coaches until your sport’s contact period begins.
DIVISION 1 MEN’S BASKETBALL NCAA RECRUITING RULES
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Any time: Athletes can receive non-recruiting materials from college coaches, such as questionnaires, camp brochures, nonathletic institutional publications and NCAA educational materials published by the NCAA.
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June 15 after sophomore year: Coaches can extend verbal offers to recruits.
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June 15 after sophomore year: Coaches can call, email, text, direct message and correspond with athletes in any form of private communication. Calls from coaches to athletes are unlimited at this time except during dead and quiet periods.
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August 1 before junior year: Recruits can begin official visits, with only one official visit per school.
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January 1 of junior year: Coaches can contact athletes off campus (limited to the NCAA Recruiting Calendar’s contact periods).
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Start of classes junior year: Coaches can initiate off-campus contact. Except during the April recruiting period, coaches can only conduct off-campus contact at the recruit’s school or residence. Contact cannot occur the day of a competition or at a time during the day when the athlete’s classes are in session.
DIVISION 1 WOMEN’S BASKETBALL NCAA RECRUITING RULES
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Any time: Athletes can receive non-recruiting materials from college coaches, such as questionnaires, camp brochures, nonathletic institutional publications and NCAA educational materials published by the NCAA. Unofficial visits are also permitted.
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June 1 after sophomore year: Coaches can send electronic communications to athletes, including texts, instant messages, emails and recruiting materials. According to NCAA rules, coaches can call athletes an unlimited number of times at this time.
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June 15 after sophomore year: Coaches can extend verbal offers to recruits.
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January 1 of junior year: Recruits can begin taking up to one official visits, except during the dead periods.
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September 1 of senior year: NCAA recruiting rules allow coaches to conduct off-campus contact at the athlete’s school or residence. No off-campus contact is allowed on the day of a recruit’s game. Coaches are not permitted to contact athletes during school hours on school days.
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After an athlete has signed a National Letter of Intent, they are no longer subject to NCAA restrictions
STAY ORGANIZED
Keep your recruiting process on track by using our guide to managing the recruiting process. Get familiar with key recruiting milestones and download recruiting checklists for each step of the way!