Sports Played by Less than 10 Top Colleges: NCAA Rules of Athlete Recruitment
INTRODUCTION
Thus far we have covered the individual NCAA and varsity sports which have their own specific Division 1 recruiting calendars and rules as well as the NCAA and varsity sports played by a substantial number of the top colleges. Here we present you the rules that apply to the sports that are each played by fewer than 10 of the highly selective colleges.
In the following article we lay out the recruitment rules and calendar for these sports 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 teams is determined by a recruiting calendar
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.
The purpose of these stringent athlete recruitment rules is to ensure that NCAA athlete recruitment is fair and that all athletes have equal opportunity to get recruited, and no one receives an unjust advantage, or feel forced to accept an offer too soon.
For Division 1 colleges, coaches may start making phone calls and begin electronic correspondence with athletes June 15 following their sophomore 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 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 ATHLETE RECRUITMENT RULES
Freshman and Sophomore Year
At any time, an athlete may receive recruitment surveys, camp brochures and non-sports recruiting publications from Division 1 coaches.
June 15: After sophomore year, coaches can send recruiting materials to athletes and begin electronic correspondence with them as well. Athletes may make phone calls to NCAA coaches and coaches may make phone calls to athletes. Coaches may extend verbal offers to athletes.
Junior Year
August 1: Coaches may contact athletes off-campus at their homes or schools, and observe their games. Athletes may also conduct both official and unofficial visits to college campuses.
Evaluations: There are a total of seven recruiting opportunities (contacts + evaluations) for each athlete per year. Starting August 1 before an athlete’s junior year, only three out of seven opportunities may be contacts.
Division 1 Athlete Recruitment Timeline Chart
Division 1 Athlete Recruitment Timeline
DIVISION 2 ATHLETE RECRUITMENT RULES
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.
DIVISION 3 ATHLETE RECRUITMENT RULES
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.
Division 2 & 3 Athlete Recruitment Timeline Chart
DIVISION 1 & 2 ATHLETE 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 Other Sports Recruiting Calendar for 2021-2022 and the NCAA Division 2 recruiting calendar for 2022-2023 on top of the recruiting rules.
For Division 2, all periods not designated as dead periods should be treated as contact periods.
Dead period: a period of time where conducting in-person recruiting contacts or evaluations on or off the campus of the member institution is not allowed, nor are colleges allowed to conduct official or unofficial visits for potential recruits to the campus of the organization.
Division 1 Dead Periods
Women’s Gymnastics
Nov. 8-11, 2021 (Monday-Thursday of the first week for the fall National Letter of Intent signing)
Dec. 1-30, 2021
Apr. 13-17 (noon), 2022 (the day prior to the initial day of the NCAA Div. 1 Women’s Gymnastics Championships through the noon on the day proceeding championships)
Jun. 1-15, 2022
All Other Sports
Nov. 8-11, 2021 (Monday-Thursday of the first week of the fall National Letter of Intent Signing)
Exceptions: check calendar for exceptions in U.S. Diving National Championships, North American Cup Fencing Championships, and Junior Olympic Rifle Championships
Division 2 Dead Periods
Nov. 7 (7 a.m.)-Nov. 9 (7 a.m.), 2022 (during the 48 hours before the initial date for the National Letter of Intent signature (at 7 a.m.)