Back in early June, we wrote about the number of college sports programs that were being eliminated across the country. Many of those programs were/are being dropped at least in part due to the financial impact of COVID-19 on colleges and athletic departments nationwide.

Since then, I’ve continued to monitor the number of programs at the NCAA Division I level that are being eliminated.

Adding my unofficial count to the 19 Division I programs that were previously announced, I’m now counting 59 or 60 programs from Division I. (My count isn’t exact, because a few programs have been reinstated.)

The hardest hit programs were tennis, with 13 men’s programs being dropped and 10 women’s programs. Swimming and diving saw 10 programs dropped (6 men’s and 4 women’s) and golf lost 8 programs (5 men’s and 3 women’s).

What does this mean for your athlete?

If they are a high school senior hoping to be recruited to a college program, or are a current college athlete considering a transfer from a two-year or four-year college to the Division I level, it means that there will be even more limited roster spots in certain sports.

This just compounds even more those roster problems for Spring sport athletes who have already been granted an additional year of eligibility due to 2020 spring sport seasons being cancelled.

How we can help

We can assist by answering your questions, hearing your concerns, and discussing options to consider:

  • For a high school senior whose recruiting opportunities have been severely limited during the past 5 or 6 months,
  • For a two-year or four-year college athlete who is facing a crowded roster but is uncertain whether opportunities at other colleges will be any better.

Schedule a confidential Eligibility Issues consult or a confidential Transfer consult online, or contact us directly at 913-766-1235 or via email at rick@informedathlete.com.

NCAA Division I and II football coaches will be “hitting the road” to visit high schools and junior colleges to evaluate prospects during the Spring recruiting period which started on April 15 and continues through May 31.

Evaluation Days – How many are allowed?

Division I programs are allowed up to 168 “evaluation days” selected at each coaching staff’s discretion, with each day that a coach is conducting off-campus evaluation counting as one “evaluation day.” So, seven coaches from an FBS or FCS program doing off-campus evaluation on the same day will count as using seven of their 168 “evaluation days.”

Recruiting Calls – How many are allowed?

Division I coaching staffs are permitted to make one recruiting phone call to a high school junior during this period, in addition to being able to call high school seniors not more than once per week.

When can coaches evaluate prospects?

Division II coaching staffs choose four weeks out of the six between April 15 to May 31 to evaluate prospects at high schools or junior colleges. They are permitted unlimited phone calls to high school junior or seniors.

Do you have questions?

If you have questions about the recruiting rules, contact us at 913-766-1235 or via e-mail at rick@informedathlete.com