Women’s Basketball: NCAA Rules of Athlete Recruitment
INTRODUCTION
Student-athletes who intend to become NCAA women’s basketball recruits to the highly selective colleges absolutely must know when NCAA coaches can begin contacting them and when recruiting periods are in order to get the most out of interaction with coaches and get their attention.
Basketball at the top colleges
The recruiting process officially begins on September 1 of the athlete’s junior year - however, even before this date, coaches are seeking out talented players and observing their progress at games and taking notice of potential recruits down the line.
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 basketball 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 and 2 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.
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. The only limits for this division are regarding off-campus contact and official visits.
We advise that student-athletes build an online profile where they showcase video highlights of their games, their high school grades, transcripts and AP scores/SAT-ACT scores (if taken, but not mandatory). The benefit of doing so is that it lets the student-athlete stand out from the crowd and allows coaches to see their performance before the official recruiting process begins. Student-athletes are allowed to reach out to coaches before the official date provided they are the ones initiating the contact. Therefore, we also recommend that student-athletes email and call coaches even before the official contact date to express interest.
What is the Value of Knowing the NCAA Basketball Rules and Calendar for Athlete Recruitment?
As basketball is an extremely competitive collegiate sport, it is essential that parents and players alike are familiar with the timelines so they know when their daughter ought to receive a call from a recruiter, whether it be from a D1, D2, or D3 coach. Because official contact from coaches starts June 15 of an athlete’s sophomore year, if a student-athlete has not yet heard from coaches by this date, they may have to reconsider their list of target schools or intensify their efforts at getting noticed. Remember also that athletes have the ability to call up coaches and message them and have the coaches answer them, as long as the athlete is the one who contacts them first. Knowing this, a student-athlete ought to call the coach before the official recruiting date.
RECRUITING CALENDAR AND RULES
The foremost task of a prospective NCAA basketball 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 Basketball Athlete Recruitment Rules and Calendar
Freshman and Sophomore Year
At any time, an athlete may receive recruitment surveys, camp brochures and non-sports institutional publications from Division 1 coaches. An athlete may also call the coach at any time (but not vice versa yet).
Athletes are free to take unofficial campus visits at any time.
At any time, an athlete may make phone calls to coaches, but not vice versa.
NCAA coaches may make verbal offers at any time.
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. '
March 1: Off-campus contact begins this date through the day before the WBCA convention begins, and it is allowed at the student-athlete’s home or high school depending on the recruitment calendar.
Official visits are allowed beginning on Thursday following the NCAA women’s basketball championship game. A total of five official visits may be taken during high school.
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.
In the calendar, certain periods overlap. For instance, in the Division 1 calendar, during the evaluation period from October 1 to February 28, 2023, a dead period overlaps on December 24-26. Check the calendar to know exactly when these overlaps occur.
Senior Year
Except for designated “dead periods”, there are no restrictions on contact between the head coaches and the potential athlete recruit.
Dead Periods
Potential women’s golf athlete 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.
Dec. 24-26, 2022
Mar. 30-Apr. 3, 2023
Jun. 13-14, 2023
Jul. 5-6, 2023
Jul. 11-20, 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. 1-Aug. 31, 2022
April 4-Jul. 31, 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.
Sept. 1-30, 2022 (Seniors only); Evaluation Period (scholastic events only)
March 1-29, 2023 (Seniors only); Evaluation Period (all other PSAs)
Evaluation Periods
Evaluation Period: An evaluation period is when authorized athletics department staff members are allowed to participate in off-campus activities to evaluate potential student-athletes' academic credentials and playing skills. During an evaluation period, no face-to-face off-campus recruiting contacts may be conducted with the potential student-athlete.
Oct. 1-Feb. 28, 2023 (Scholastic activities only
April 21-23, 2023 (Certified nonscholastic events only)
May 19-21, 2023 (Including evaluations at certified nonscholastic events)
June 15-17, 2023
July 7-10, 2023
July 21-24, 2023
Recruiting Shutdowns
Recruiting Shutdowns: A recruiting shutdown is when no type of recruiting of any kind is permissible.
Aug. 14-20, 2022
May 8-14, 2023
Basketball Division 1 Athlete Recruitment Timeline Chart
Basketball Division 1 Athlete Recruitment Timeline
Division 2 Basketball Athlete Recruitment Rules and Calendar
Freshman and Sophomore Year
At any time, a Division 2 women’s basketball coach can conduct any number of unofficial visits they chose to college campuses before official contact starts between the athlete and the NCAA coach. Just like with Division 1, athletes may be given recruiting questionnaires, general camp brochures, and non-athletic 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.)-Nov. 9 (7 a.m.), 2022
Mar. 30-Apr. 5 (noon): On the Thursday prior to the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship game through noon Wednesday after the game finishes.
Quiet Periods
Jun. 1-14, 2022
Aug. 2-Sept. 6, 2022
Oct. 15 to the date of the athlete’s initial first high school basketball game.
All other dates not designated as periods.
Contact Periods
Sept. 7-Oct. 14, 2022
Mar. 1-May 21, 2023
Evaluation Periods
Jun. 15-Aug. 1, 2022
The time between the athlete’s first and last high school basketball games.
During any high school all-star game that takes place in the state where the member institution is situated.
Division 3 Basketball 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.
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.
Basketball Division 2 & 3 Athlete Recruitment Timeline Chart
Basketball Division 2 & 3 Athlete Recruitment Timeline