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NCAA Proposed Rule Changes: Official Visits, Transfers, Eligibility

It’s the time of year when the NCAA is starting to publicize proposed rule changes that will be voted on at the annual NCAA Convention in January. I’ll highlight those that will likely be of most interest to student-athletes and families.

Division I

The Division I Council has introduced a proposal to reduce the number of official visits a men’s basketball recruit can take to a Division I university from five to three during each of three periods:

  • Junior year of high school.
  • Senior year of high school.
  • After high school graduation (for a transfer or during a prep school year for example).

The proposal would also reduce the length of official visits in men’s basketball to 36 hours from 48. Members of the Council believe many student-athletes are taking official visits simply because they can and not because they intend to attend a school.

Division II

If approved, the Division II transfer rules will be revised to more closely align with the Division I transfer rules. Perhaps the most important revision would be that a Division II coach or athletic department would not be able to object to a student-athlete’s opportunity to be eligible in their first year at their new university.

The Division II transfer rules would be revised to:

  • Require a transferring student-athlete to view an NCAA-produced educational video before an institution may enter the student-athlete’s information into the NCAA Transfer Portal;
  • Eliminate the previous institution’s ability to object to use of the one-time transfer exception;
  • Require the new head coach and the student-athlete to certify in writing that they had no direct or indirect contact about a possible transfer prior to the student-athlete entering the Transfer Portal;
  • Establish June 15 as the date by which a student-athlete must enter the Transfer Portal to utilize the one-time transfer exception (not applicable to midyear transfers); and
  • Permit institutions to reduce or cancel an athletics aid agreement previously signed for the next academic year.

Division III

The Division III Presidents Council is supporting a proposal that would change the current “season of participation” rule to specify that only actual competition against another institution would trigger the use of a season.

  • A student-athlete would be charged with the use of a season of eligibility if the student-athlete competes at any point during the traditional season in their sport.

Please note that these rule changes are not currently planned to take effect until next June. We will be updating you and confirming the approval of these proposals when that occurs.

In the meantime, if you have questions about any of these proposals, contact us at rick@informedathlete.com or by calling 913-766-1235.

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NCAA DI Football Increases Scholarship Limit

The NCAA Division I Council has approved a temporary one-year waiver to increase the annual scholarship signing limit for Football only.

The Chair of the Football Oversight Committee stated that this decision was made because “…schools should have temporary flexibility to help address possible roster depletion due to transfers.”

The one-year waiver will permit Division I football programs to sign up to 7 more recruits than the normal standard limit (25 for FBS schools and 30 for FCS schools) to REPLACE current team members who transfer out of the program after this current semester.

    • For example, if four football players transfer out from a Division I FBS program at the end of this semester, that program will be permitted to sign up to 29 incoming recruits rather than the normal annual limit of 25 signees.
    • The overall total scholarship limits for Division I football programs will remain the same, however. Those limits are 85 for FBS football programs and 63 scholarship equivalencies for FCS programs.
    • D1 schools will be able to sign replacements for transfers who depart their school on or after the last day of the school’s Fall term or Dec. 15th, whichever is earlier.

December 15th is the first day of the early National Letter of Intent signing period for Division I football programs.

If you have questions about the scholarship limits or rules in football or any other sport, contact us at 913-766-1235 or write to rick@informedathlete.com.

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Additional Official Visit Opportunities for NCAA Division I Sports

October 15th opens up opportunities for recruitable athletes in all NCAA Division I sports to take additional official visits to DI schools:

Up to 5 official visits can be taken prior to October 15th and 5 more official visits can occur after October 15th.

Athletes who qualify include:

  • Current four-year college athletes who are planning to transfer to an NCAA D1 program.
  • Athletes who have completed high school, but may have chosen to take a gap year and have delayed their college enrollment, or
  • Two-year college athletes.

HOWEVER,

  • If you are a currently enrolled two-year college student-athlete,
  • Were a Non-Qualifier for Division I (based on your high school academic performance)
  • And are in your first year as a full-time student at a two-year college,

You’re not allowed to take an official visit to a Division I university until you complete your freshman year at the two-year college.

Have Questions & Need Advice?

Schedule a confidential Recruiting Rules Consult online, send an email to rick@informedathlete.com or call our office at 913-766-1235.

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NCAA-Approved Recruiting Services – What You Should Know

We’re getting questions asking what it means if a recruiting service promotes themselves as “NCAA-approved” and/or feature the official NCAA logo on their website.

Here are the facts:

  • The ONLY sports that are required to subscribe and receive information about recruits from an NCAA-approved recruiting service are NCAA DI Football and DI Men & Women’s Basketball programs.
  • The Recruiting Service must be pre-approved by the NCAA before they can provide information to NCAA DI Football and Basketball coaches under very strict guidelines established by the NCAA.
  • This does NOT mean that the service has been recommended or endorsed by the NCAA for high school athletes and parents to sign up for that recruiting service.

Also, if you come across a recruiting service website that features a quote from an NCAA Division I or II coach recommending that service, beware.

Coaches who promote recruiting services or recruiting websites that claim to be endorsed by an NCAA coach are violating NCAA rules.

As with any other business, some recruiting services are better than others, and you may have a very good experience in using a particular service.

But don’t be swayed by the label of “NCAA-approved” – especially if your sport is NOT basketball or football – since those are the only sports for which such approval is required before an NCAA Division I coach can access their information.

Do you Have Questions or Need Advice?

If you have questions about this or any other topic pertaining to recruiting, eligibility issues, scholarship strategies, or transfer situations, contact us for further information at 913-766-1235 or rick@informedathlete.com

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September 1st Recruiting Opportunities for High School Juniors

NCAA Division I coaches in the sports listed below can engage in the specified recruiting activities beginning September 1st of a recruit’s junior year in high school.

Baseball – Coaches can call and can send text messages, email or other direct correspondence (mailings, instant messages, etc.) They can also provide official and unofficial visits to HS juniors.

Women’s Basketball – Coaches can call and can send text messages, email or other direct correspondence (mailings, instant messages, etc.)

Football (both FBS and FCS) – Coaches can send text messages and emails or other direct correspondence.

Lacrosse – Coaches can call and can send text messages, email or other direct correspondence. They can also provide official and unofficial visits to HS juniors. Sept. 1 is also the first date when these coaches can accept incoming calls from HS juniors.

Softball – Coaches can call and can send text messages, email or other direct correspondence. They can also provide official and unofficial visits to HS juniors. Sept. 1 is also the first date when these coaches can have off-campus contact with HS juniors and can accept incoming calls from them.

If you have questions about the recruiting rules for these or any other NCAA sports, send an email to rick@informedathlete.com or by calling 913-766-1235. You can also schedule a confidential Recruiting Rules Consult online for an in-depth conversation regarding your athlete’s specific situation.

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NCAA DI Baseball Roster Size & Scholarship Rules for 2021-22

NCAA Division I baseball programs will continue to be impacted by special NCAA rulings regarding their roster size and scholarship rules for the 2021-22 academic year in a somewhat similar manner to the way they were impacted during this season.

  • There will be a 40-man limit on roster size for Division I programs during the 2022 baseball season.
  • Up to 32 student-athletes will be allowed to receive a baseball scholarship – an increase from the normal limit of 27 in Division I.
  • Coaches will be allowed to renegotiate scholarships to provide less than 25% for 2021-22 with conditions in place for the following year or years of an athlete’s attendance.

The previous sentence is especially important for baseball student-athletes who were on a multi-year scholarship during the 2020-21 academic year. In a “normal” time, DI baseball scholarship athletes must receive at least 25% scholarship.

If your Division I baseball athlete has been notified of a change to their scholarship for this next year and you desire detailed information regarding their options, schedule a confidential Scholarship Strategies consult online, contact us at rick@informedathlete.com or call 913-766-1235.

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Valuable Advice for Student-Athletes Being Recruited by Multiple DI Programs

If a prospective student-athlete is being recruited by multiple Division I athletic programs and has an opportunity to “negotiate” for a multiyear scholarship from School A compared to a one-year renewable scholarship from School B, they should consider doing so.

The reason is that Division I schools are very limited in the reasons that they can use to take away a scholarship during the “period of the award.” Those reasons may not include a student-athlete’s athletic performance or contribution to a team’s success or any injury, illness or physical or mental health condition.

The “period of the award” for a multi-year scholarship is in effect from the first academic year in which an athletic scholarship is provided through the final year of scholarship offered, even if there are years in-between in which no scholarship is offered (e.g., 50 percent in year one, zero percent in year two, 50 percent in year three).

If you or your athlete have questions about how to navigate through various scholarship offer situations, we can help.  Schedule a confidential scholarship strategies consult and we will explain how your student-athlete could be impacted in various situations.  With this information, you can make an informed decision that’s in your athlete’s and your family’s best interest.

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June 15th – An Important date for 2023 High School Grads

June 15th is the date when coaches in most NCAA Division I sport programs will be able to initiate recruiting phone calls and emails/messages to athletes who have just completed their sophomore year of high school.

The following Division I sports are the only ones that have a date other than June 15th as the earliest date for placing recruiting calls and sending emails/messages:

  • Baseball – Sept. 1 of junior year
  • Women’s Basketball – Sept. 1 of junior year
  • Football – Sept. 1 of senior year except for one call between Apr. 15 – May 31 as a Jr.
  • Men’s Ice Hockey – Jan. 1 of sophomore year
  • Lacrosse – Sept. 1 of junior year
  • Softball – Sept. 1 of junior year

For NCAA Division II programs, June 15th is the date when coaches in ALL sports can start to contact recruits who have completed their sophomore year via phone, email, or direct message services.

Here is a list of resources for recruits and their families:

Eligibility Issues – Not knowing, understanding and meeting the eligibility rules can have serious short and long-term consequences. Is your athlete on track to meet the eligibility requirements?
Recruiting Rules – A recruiting coach’s job is to sell their school in the best light possible. YOUR job as a recruit or parent of a recruit is to have as much accurate information as possible to make a decision based on what is the best fit for you!
Scholarship Strategies – Athletic Scholarships and Financial Aid agreements are NOT one-size fits all and they are not guaranteed. Is your athlete getting a good deal?

Do you have questions and need advice?

For questions about the NCAA recruiting rules and recruiting tips and advice, schedule a confidential Recruiting Rules or Scholarship Strategies Consultation to make sure your athlete is prepared for their recruitment and potential scholarship offers. You can also call us at 913-766-1235 or send an email to rick@informedathlete.com.

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NCAA Division I Coaches “On the Road Again”

Effective June 1, all NCAA Division I sports programs will return to their regular recruiting calendars. This means that each sport will be able to conduct off-campus recruiting during permissible Evaluation or Contact Periods.

As you can imagine, this has many Division I coaches excited to be “on the road again” (to quote Willie Nelson!!).

They also will be able to offer official and unofficial visits during those periods as well as during Quiet Periods (when they are not permitted to recruit off-campus).

However, some coaches will not be able to hit the road as soon as others.

For example, in the sports of Division I baseball and softball, the first week of June is ….wait for it …..a Dead Period!!!

To review the recruiting calendars for your athlete’s particular sport, download our two-month recruiting calendars for NCAA Division I and II that we update each month for every sport. You can access them here:

Get the current NCAA Recruiting Calendars.

Do you have questions and need accurate information and/or objective advice?

Contact us at 913-766-1235 or send an email to rick@informedathlete.com to set up a confidential Recruiting Rules consultation session if you have questions about the recruiting rules or various recruiting periods.

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2023 HS Grads Can Hear from NCAA DI and DII Coaches

Starting June 15th NCAA Division I coaches in most sports and coaches of ALL Division II sports can initiate recruiting contact with 2023 HS Grads.

Those coaches will be permitted to make recruiting phone calls, send e-mails, instant messages, and text messages with high school athletes who have completed or will soon be completing their sophomore year.

The only Division I sports that have a date other than June 15 to initiate contact with 2023 HS graduates include:

  • January 1, 2021 – Men’s Ice Hockey
  • September 1, 2021 – Baseball, Women’s Basketball, Lacrosse and Softball (also Football for texts and emails, but for phone calls, see below)
  • April 15 to May 31, 2022 – Football can have one call per 2023 recruit in that period. Other phone calls to 2023 HS grads can’t begin until September 1, 2022.

High School athletes who will graduate in 2023 are allowed and encouraged to e-mail or text coaches prior to June 15 to let them know of your interest in their program. You can then start to gauge their level of interest in you if they initiate contact with you on or shortly after June 15.

Do You Need Help Navigating the Recruiting Rules?

If you have questions about anything related to the recruiting rules or scholarship strategies, Schedule a confidential Recruiting Rules Consultation session online, contact us at 913-766-1235 or send an email to rick@informedathlete.com.

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