Baseball: NCAA Rules of Athlete Recruitment
INTRODUCTION
Recruits who acquaint themselves with the NCAA baseball recruiting rules and calendar will be able to use it to their advantage by seeking out off-campus contact with coaches and demonstrating their athletic ability at games during contact periods.
In the following article we lay out the rules and calendars for Division 1, Division 2, and Division 3 colleges so that prospective recruits know when they should be getting contacted by NCAA coaches and when they can conduct visits, both official and unofficial, as well as when they will be evaluated. When you start these conversations with coaches and when you can speak in-person on and off-campus with the head coaches of NCAA baseball teams is determined by a recruiting calendar, which will be explained in detail below.
From when you first reach out to the head coaches, to periodically reporting your progress, to speaking with the head coaches during unofficial campus visits, to then official campus visits, all communications with Division I head coaches fall under precise rules set by the NCAA and a recruitment calendar.
For Division 1 colleges, coaches may start making phone calls and begin electronic correspondence with athletes on September 1 of their junior year. Coaches may send athletes surveys, camp details, NCAA resources, and non-athletic institutional publications at any time.
Starting June 15 of an athlete’s sophomore year, Division 2 coaches may begin correspondence with athletes.
Division 3 colleges are generally left to their own devices when creating rules and schedules, however they tend to contact athletes during their junior and senior years.
RECRUITING CALENDAR AND RULES
The foremost task of a prospective NCAA baseball athlete recruit is to get to know the rules regarding contact between an athlete and an NCAA coach and the timeline for communication. These rules include:
when you can initiate a discussion with a head coach,
when head coaches can initiate discussion with you,
where and when you can begin in-person communication with a head coach
the medium of communication (phone call, e-mail, text, in-person)
the content of the interaction (particularly, when you can speak about recruitment)
the distinction between “official” and “unofficial” visits
when are unofficial visits allowed
when are official visits allowed
when is contact disallowed during the recruitment cycle
Whenever a coach says more than “Hello” to the athlete or his/her parents during a face-to-face interaction off-campus, a “contact” is made, according to the NCAA. The rules surrounding contact are very rigid. Many Division 1 NCAA coaches approach cautiously and will absolutely not interact with parents or players at games beyond a simple “hello” until between the player’s junior and senior year.
The rules and calendar vary between Division 1, Division 2 and Division 3 colleges, so please pay careful attention to which Division a college that you are interested in belongs.
Division 1 Baseball Athlete Recruitment Rules and Calendar
Freshman and Sophomore Year
At any time, an athlete may receive recruitment surveys, camp brochures and non-sports recruiting publications from Division 1 coaches.
At any time, an athlete may make phone calls to coaches, but not vice versa.
June 15: Coach may make verbal offers to athlete after sophomore year.
Junior Year
September 1: Coaches may contact athletes via phone calls, texts, emails, social media direct messages and more (except during July evaluation period). Coaches can send athletes institutional publications, along with all other recruiting materials. Athletes may also make up to five official visits to different colleges; one official visit is allowed per school and athletes may conduct unofficial visits.
July 1: After junior year, off-campus contact between coaches and athletes is permitted starting on this date.
Evaluation: From September 1 and May 31, each athlete will receive seven recruiting opportunities (contacts + evaluations). Starting August 1 prior to the athlete’s junior year, only 3 of the 7 opportunities can be contacts each year.
Senior Year
There are no restrictions on the potential athlete recruit or head coaches on contact.
Recruitment Calendar
At the Division 1 and Division 2 levels, various types of contact with college coaches are permitted at specific periods. Figure out what type of contact you can expect based on your age and the season by placing the NCAA Division 1 recruiting calendar for 2022-2023 and the NCAA Division 2 recruiting calendar for 2022-2023 on top of the recruiting rules.
Note that some of the periods overlap; for instance, in the Division 1 calendar on the quiet period from October 10 to February 28, there are two dead periods which overlap. Check the calendar to identify where these overlaps occur.
Dead Periods
Potential baseball recruits must also observe the “dead periods” of the recruitment calendar.
A Dead Period is defined by the NCAA as that period of time where conducting in-person (face to face) recruiting contacts or evaluations on or off the campus are not allowed, and the colleges are not allowed to conduct official or unofficial visits for potential recruits to the campus.
Nov. 7-10, 2022
Jan. 5-8, 2023
May 29-Jun. 5, 2023
Jun. 17-19, 2023
Jul. 3-5, 2023
Quiet Periods
Quiet Period: A quiet period is defined by the NCAA as that period of time when it is permissible to make in-person recruiting contacts only on the member institution’s campus. No in-person, off-campus recruiting contacts or evaluations may be made during the quiet period.
Aug. 15-Sept. 8, 2022
Oct. 10-Feb. 28, 2023
Contact Periods
Contact Period (Recruiting Period): A contact period is the time frame during which coaches may make in-person (face to face) contact with athletes and evaluate potential recruits off-campus.
Aug. 1-14, 2022
Sept. 9-Oct. 9, 2022
Mar. 1-Jul. 31, 2023
Baseball Division 1 Athlete Recruitment Timeline Chart
Men’s Baseball Division 1 Athlete Recruitment Timeline
Division 2 Baseball Athlete Recruitment Rules and Calendar
Freshman and Sophomore Year
At any time, a coach may send an athlete recruitment surveys, camp brochures and non-sports recruiting publications.
Junior Year
June 15 prior to junior year: NCAA coaches are permitted to contact athletes via phone calls, texts, emails, social media direct messages and more.
Coaches can send athletes institutional publications, along with all other recruiting materials.
Athletes can begin making official campus visits, while coaches can begin meeting with recruits off-campus.
Coaches can approach a recruit's coach during contact periods at a competition.
Dead Periods
Nov. 7 (7 a.m.) to 9 (7 a.m.) during the 48 hours before the National Letter of Intent signing at 7 a.m.
Division 3 Baseball Athlete Recruitment Rules and Calendar
Freshman and Sophomore Year
There are no set Division 3 recruiting calendars - NCAA Division 3 college coaches are not restricted from recruiting during dead periods, recruiting periods, or silent periods. All recruiting material, phone calls, digital correspondence and unofficial visits are permitted starting sophomore year. Coaches may make as many calls as they like to athletes. Athletes may also make an unlimited number of unofficial visits to colleges.
Off-campus contact is permitted starting sophomore year.
Junior Year
January 1: official visits are permitted.
Senior Year
Official visits are permitted with one allowed for each college on the opening day of classes.