Being Recruited 101: NCAA Recruiting Season to Hit Full Stride on July 1

By Jason Marsteller

PHOENIX, Arizona, June 28. STARTING July 1, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) recruiting process will hit full steam for those swimmers heading into their senior season of eligibility after the summer. With that in mind, SwimmingWorldMagazine.com wishes to help the recruits understand what to expect from the process a more fully by pointing everyone's attention to the NCAA Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete.

As stated in the guide, it "will lead you through a number of important topics, including your academic eligibility, amateurism eligibility, registration with the NCAA Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse, financial aid and recruiting rules."

The free, downloadable guide addresses issues for three sets of people involved in the process: High school students who hope to participate in college athletics at an NCAA college or university; Parents and legal guardians; and High school counselors and athletics administrators.

While our readers can check out the guide themselves for the word on the academic qualification standards as well as the Clearinghouse procedures, we're more interested in helping our audience of seniors-to-be understand the actual recruiting process to come over the next several months.

Some of the items that seniors-to-be must know about are the regulations involved at both the NCAA Division I, II and III levels during your senior year of recruiting. Remember, each division has its own distinct regulations that must be followed.

NCAA Division I Recruiting Regulations
Recruiting materials – Allowed.
Telephone calls – You may make calls to the coach at your expense.
College coaches may call you – Once per week.
Off-campus contact – Allowed.
Official visit – Allowed beginning opening day of classes your senior year; You are limited to one official visit per college up to a maximum of five official visits to Divisions I and II colleges.
Unofficial visit – You may make an unlimited number of unofficial visits.
Evaluation and contacts – Up to seven times during your senior year.
How often can a coach see me or talk to me off the college's campus? – A college coach may contact you or your parents/legal guardians not more than three times during your senior year.

NCAA Division II Recruiting Regulations
Recruiting materials – A coach may begin sending you printed recruiting materials Sept. 1 of your junior year in high school.
Telephone calls – A college coach may call you once per week beginning June 15 between your junior and senior year; You may make calls to the coach at your expense.
Off-campus contact – A college coach can have contact with you or your parents/legal guardians off the college's campus beginning June 15 after your junior year; A college coach is limited to three in-person contacts off campus.
Unofficial visits – You may make an unlimited number of unofficial visits any time.
Official visits – You may make official visits starting the opening day of classes your senior year; You may make only one official visit per college and up to a maximum of five official visits to Divisions I and II colleges.

NCAA Division III Recruiting Regulations
Recruiting materials -You may receive printed materials anytime.
Telephone calls – No limit on number of calls or when they can be made by the college coach; You may make calls to the coach at your expense.
Off-campus contact – A college coach may begin to have contact with you and your parents/legal guardians off the college's campus after your junior year.
Unofficial visits – You may make an unlimited number of unofficial visits any time.
Official visits – You may make official visits starting the opening day of classes your senior year; You may make only one official visit per college.

Additionally, here are some of the recruiting regulations as quoted from the guide:

Introduction
College coaches must follow the rules outlined in this section. You are expected to follow these rules as well.

Recruiting Terms
Contact. A contact occurs any time a coach has any face-to-face contact with you or your parents off the college's campus and says more than hello. A contact also occurs if a coach has any contact with you or your parents at your high school or any location where you are competing or practicing.

Contact period. During this time, a college coach may have in-person contact with you and/or your parents on or off the college's campus. The coach may also watch you play or visit your high school. You and your parents may visit a college campus and the coach may write and telephone you during this period.

Dead period. The college coach may not have any in-person contact with you or your parents at any time in the dead period. The coach may write and telephone you or your parents during this time.

Evaluation. An evaluation is an activity by a coach to evaluate your academic or athletics ability. This would include visiting your high school or watching you practice or compete.

Evaluation period. The college coach may watch you play or visit your high school, but cannot have any in-person conversations with you or your parents off the college's campus. You and your parents can visit a college campus during this period. A coach may write and telephone you or your parents during this time.

Official visit. Any visit to a college campus by you and your parents paid for by the college. The college may pay the following expenses: • Your transportation to and from the college; • Room and meals (three per day) while you are visiting the college; and • Reasonable entertainment expenses, including three complimentary admissions to a home athletics contest. • Before a college may invite you on an official visit, you will have to provide the college with a copy of your high school transcript (Division I only) and SAT, ACT or PLAN score.

Prospective student-athlete. You become a "prospective student-athlete" when: • You start ninth-grade classes; or • Before your ninth-grade year, a college gives you, your relatives or your friends any financial aid or other benefits that the college does not provide to students generally.

Quiet period. The college coach may not have any in-person contact with you or your parents off the college's campus. The coach may not watch you play or visit your high school during this period. You and your parents may visit a college campus during this time. A coach may write or telephone you or your parents during this time.

Unofficial visit. Any visit by you and your parents to a college campus paid for by you or your parents. The only expense you may receive from the college is three complimentary admissions to a home athletics contest. You may make as many unofficial visits as you like and may take those visits at any time. The only time you cannot talk with a coach during an unofficial visit is during a dead period.

Complete calendars for each of these periods can be found by clicking here.

Good luck to all the recruits out there as you all embark on the voyage of finding the destination for the next four years of your life!

Subscribe
Notify of
guest

Welcome to our community. We invite you to join our discussion. Our community guidelines are simple: be respectful and constructive, keep on topic, and support your fellow commenters. Commenting signifies that you agree to our Terms of Use

0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x