The following is a brief summary of the recruiting rules and regulations as set forth by the NCAA. Learning the rules of recruiting is essential for all students who want to compete in college athletics and beyond. Links have been provided throughout this summary to the NCAA official website which further detail specific rules and to other sites that provide helpful tips. Please note that this is only a summary, and contacting the NCAA through the web or other means is the best way to answer specific questions in regard to any aspect of intercollegiate athletics. You are advised to read our disclaimer below.

Who is the "Student-Athelete"?
Division I Recruiting Rules
Division II and III Recruiting Rules
National Letter of Intent
Scholarships and Financial Aid
Amateur vs. Professional
Links to Recruiting News

Who is the "Student-Athlete"?

According to the NCAA, you are officially a "prospective student-athlete" when you begin ninth grade. You become a "recruited prospective student-athlete" of any college that approaches you through a coach or any other representative of the college's interests and discusses athletic participation at that college with you. You will be considered a recruited prospective student-athlete, regardless of the school's division if:

• An official visit is made to any school by you;
• A phone call is made to you or another member of your family;
• A meeting occurs between a representative/coach and you or your family anywhere other than the college's campus.

While many rules are similar, they can differ greatly depending on whether you are considering competition within a Division I, II, or III institution. See the our summaries of rules by division for more details.

Since knowing the rules is only half the game, think about how you will best present yourself to potential colleges, and create a strategy to get the most out of your recruiting experience. At any point during the recruiting process and beyond, the NCAA National Office is available to answer questions regarding recruiting rules and procedure you may have.

Division I Recruiting Rules

Division I schools generally provide athletes with the highest level of competition, the most scholarship funding from the NCAA, and the strongest athletic support systems designed to encourage excellence for student-athletes. However, the NCAA's Division I recruiting requirements are also the most stringent and complicated of the three divisions. At all Division I schools, alumni, boosters, and representatives of a college's athletic interests other than coaches are strictly prohibited from taking part in any way throughout the entire recruiting process. This includes phone calls, letters, or gifts to either you or your family. There are also numerous restrictions on when a coach may contact you and in what form.

So when can you be recruited, how, and by whom?

For most sports (football and ice hockey are a few of the exceptions), contact from coaches and other faculty members is permissible after July 1 of your junior year of high school. There are specific rules which regulate each form of contact that may occur between a student-athlete and a college coach, or other representative of a college's athletic programs. Below are a few examples of contact rules in summarized form. You can access the NCAA web site to review the actual rules:

• Phone calls made by coaches and faculty members to you may occur no more than once a week.
• Evaluations in which an assessment of your ability occurs in some off-campus fashion may occur no more than seven times total (and only three of these seven may be "contact" visits).
• Personal "contact" visits, which consist of anything more than "hello" exchanged between coaches and you and your family at any off-campus location may occur no more than three times total (considered three of the seven total allotted visits mentioned above).
• Enrolled student-athletes may not contact you regardless of their involvement in the college's regular admissions program directed to all potential students.
• Official visits where most expenses for you and your family, including travel, are paid for by the college may occur no more than once per college and no more than five visits total.
• Unofficial visits where all expense for you and your family is not paid for by the college can occur on an unlimited basis.
• Printed materials, which may or may not be limited to: academic publications, student service videotapes, general correspondence on official letterhead, game programs, media guides, and student handbooks may be received during certain time periods and in specific quantities only.

Note: The specifics dates during which contact is permitted, the type of person allowed to contact you, and other details regarding recruiting in Division I are subject to change, and will differ from sport to sport. Refer to the actual rules for complete details.

For a comprehensive review of all of the details pertaining to Division I recruiting, as well as a calendar regarding recruiting periods for this year, please see the Division I Recruiting Guidelines provided by the NCAA.

If you understand what is happening, but don't know how important you are to a school that appears to be recruiting you, check out "Where You Stand" from All Sport News magazine.

The Rules of Division II and Division III Recruiting

While Division II and Division III recruiting rules are similar to those that apply for Division I institutions, there are some notable differences. Specifically:

• In Division II recruiting, you are allowed to receive letters from boosters, faculty members, students, and coaches if within the appropriate recruiting period.
• In Division II recruiting, enrolled student-athletes are allowed to contact you if the call is a part of the college's regular admissions program directed to all potential students.
• In Division III recruiting, you are allowed personal "contact" visits by any representative of a college's athletic interests after your junior year of high school.
• In Division III recruiting, there is no limit on the number of contacts permitted, and where and when they occur.

Once again, these are general points and the details are subject to change and review periodically by the NCAA. Specific rules should be read carefully depending on what sport you are considering. Detailed rules information can be found on the Division II Recruiting Guidelines, and the Division III Recruiting Guidelines pages.

If you understand what is happening, but don't know how important you are in to a school that appears to be recruiting you, check out "Where You Stand" from All Sport News magazine.

Sealing the Deal -- Your National Letter of Intent

When it comes down to decision time, and you are ready to sign with a college, there are even more rules a student-athlete must follow.

Your National Letter of Intent is an contract in which you agree to attend the institution you have signed with for one academic year in exchange for the institution offering you financial or athletic aid for one academic year. For all information regarding your National Letter of Intent, including the signing dates for each sport, as well as all other aspects of the letter of intent and how to obtain it, please review the guidelines provided by the Collegiate Commissioners Association at their website.

Scholarships and Financial Aid

Student-Athletes enrolled in undergraduate programs at Division I and Division II schools may be eligible for athletic scholarships. Athletic scholarships are not available at any Division III institutions. To determine if you are eligible for financial aid at your school, review the qualifying requirementsprovided by the NCAA.

All athletic scholarships are administered by each college separately, but are also funded through the NCAA membership revenue distribution. To view a list of the schools that sponsor each NCAA sport, visit the school sponsorship page provided by the NCAA. For further information about NCAA- administered scholarships, visit their scholarship page.

Amateur vs. Professional

Before, during, and after the recruiting process, there may be times when you are contacted by a player-agent. The NCAA allows you to meet with an agent anytime during your high school and/or college career. However, any agreement, oral or written, between you and an agent at any time during your collegiate days will end your eligibility.

For a specific interpretation of the difference between an amateur and a professional athlete, review the NCAA's Guidelines on Professionalism. For the most comprehensive breakdown of all collegiate laws on agents and athletics, review the Summary of NCAA Regulations Related to Agents and Other Amateurism Provisions.

Recruiting Headlines

The following are some current helpful recruiting resources:

• CNN/SI's College Football Recruiting Watch
• CNN/SI's College Basketball Recruiting Watch
• ESPN's Recruiting Page (football and basketball)
• CBS Sportsline's Basketball Recruiting Page

Disclaimer

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