Recruiting Rules

When Can Coaches “Legally” Talk to Recruits?

By Brayden Koch|Updated on June 27, 2023 (originally published on December 22, 2021)

Winter break just started, and we have 2 uninterrupted weeks to enjoy friends, family, and holiday festivities, ro procrastinate homework, and to finally catch up on everything we let slip during the semester. This includes filling out college and scholarship applications and contacting coaches you want to play for.

This article dives into when coaches are legally allowed to talk to recruits. If you're past the legal contact date, you should definitely be reaching out. Even if coaches aren't allowed to contact you yet, this is the perfect opportunity for you to introduce yourself just so they know your name. Keep in mind that coaches want to enjoy the holidays too, so they may take longer to reply.

Division 1:

While this date can vary from sport to sport, the basis is that coaches can recruit an athlete anytime after June 1st of their junior year. With this being said, many athletes still accept scholarship offers and give “verbal commitments” prior to this date. The reason for this is because the term “recruiting” in the eyes of the NCAA has a very specific meaning. The rule only applies to the coaches reaching out to the athlete, so if the athlete is the one initiating the conversation, by all technicalities, it is legal. Many times this ends up being at showcase events, or highschool visits.

Related: Reaching out to Coaches

Division 2:

The rules for Division 2 are slightly more relaxed, as recruiting can start as soon June 15th following their sophomore year. However, as with DI, the athlete can reach out to the coach before this date.

Division 3:

Division 3 athletics do not have a set recruiting calendar, meaning they can start their recruiting at any time they choose. Considering that most athletes don't consider the option of going Division 3 until halfway through high school, most coaches will wait until sometime junior year to officially reach out to the athletes.

Hopefully these tips help you decide the best way for you to go about the recruiting process. Best of luck!