RECRUITMENT RULES

Division I Sports NCAA recruiting rules

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.
June 15 after sophomore year: Coaches can extend verbal scholarship offers, call athletes and send athletes all forms of private electronic correspondence, including text messages, instant messages, direct messages and emails, as well as all recruiting materials.
August 1 before junior year: Athletes can begin taking official visits, and they can also arrange unofficial visits with a school’s athletic department and meet with the coach while on campus. Coaches can begin conducting off-campus contact with athletes at their residence or school.

When can Division II coaches contact athletes?

The NCAA Recruiting Rules for Division II schools are slightly more relaxed than those for Division I, and the rules are the same across all sports:

Non-recruiting materials: Athletes can receive brochures for camps, questionnaires, NCAA materials and non-athletic recruiting publications at any time.
Printed recruiting materials: Starting July 15 after an athlete’s sophomore year, coaches can begin sending recruits printed recruiting materials.
Telephone calls: Starting June 15 after an athlete’s sophomore year, coaches can start calling athletes.
Off-campus contact: Coaches can conduct off-campus communications with athletes and/or their parents starting June 15 after an athlete’s sophomore year.
Unofficial visits: Athletes can take unofficial visits at any time.
Official visits: Athletes may start taking official visits starting June 15 after an athlete’s sophomore year.

When can Division III coaches contact athletes?

DIII schools have the most relaxed NCAA recruiting rules of all the division levels. Similar to NCAA DII, they are the same for all sports:

Recruiting materials: Athletes can receive recruiting materials at any time.
Telephone calls: There is no limit on when college coaches can call athletes.
Digital communications: There is no limit on when college coaches can contact athletes digitally.
Off-campus contact: After the athlete’s sophomore year, college coaches may begin to conduct off-campus communications.
Official visits: Athletes can begin taking official visits after January 1 of their junior year.
Unofficial visits: Athletes can make an unlimited number of unofficial visits at any time.

NAIA

The NAIA recruiting rules are quite simple. There are no rules concerning the recruiting of prospective student athletes who are in high school or below. There are no recruiting calendars, dead periods, or contact restrictions. So, if you are in a showcase and a coach comes up to speak with you about your performance or their college, ask if they are an NAIA school. If so, feel free to speak with them all you want. If they are part of the NCAA, say hello and ask them to call you later. NCAA coaches can only have a full conversation with you after your last game of the weekend.