INTRODUCTION

The journey to becoming a women’s volleyball athlete to one of the highly selective colleges is a process which begins even before official the timeline starts. Prospective athletes should compile a list of their target schools, make calls and emails to coaches, and fill out recruiting questionnaires prior to sophomore year.

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 women’s volleyball 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 June 15 of their sophomore 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.

Volleyball at the top colleges

RECRUITING CALENDAR AND RULES

The foremost task of a prospective NCAA women’s volleyball 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 Women’s 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.

• June 15: From this date after sophomore year, coaches can send athletes recruiting materials and begin texting, emailing, and sending them social media messages. Coaches may call athletes and vice versa. Coaches may make verbal offers to athletes.

Junior Year

• August 1: Off-campus contact between coaches and athletes at the athlete’s home or at their school is permitted. Athletes may conduct official and unofficial visits to campuses.

Senior Year

Except for designated “dead periods”, there are no restrictions on contact between the head coaches and the potential athlete recruit.

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 there are exceptions within certain periods in which during a quiet period, some form of contact may be allowed with limitations, specific guidelines for when evaluations can take place during evaluation periods, or where one period may overlap with another. Check the recruitment calendar to know where these exceptions occur.

Dead Periods

Potential women’s volleyball 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

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. 1-31, 2022

• Dec. 1-Feb. 16, 2023

• May 1-Jun.1, 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. All periods not designated as “dead period” should be treated as contact periods.

• Sept. 1-Nov. 30, 2022

• Feb. 17-Jul. 31, 2023

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.

• Dec. 15-18, 2022

Women’s Volleyball Division 1 Athlete Recruitment Timeline Chart

Division 2 Women’s 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.

Senior Year

Except for designated “dead periods”, there are no restrictions on contact between the head coaches and the potential athlete recruit.

Dead Periods

• November 7 (7 a.m.)-9 (7 a.m.), 2022 (in the 48 hours before the first date for the signing of the National Letter of Intent)

Division 3 Women’s 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

There are no restrictions on the potential athlete recruit or head coaches on contact.

Women’s Volleyball 2 & 3 Athlete Recruitment Timeline Chart