NCAA Recruiting Rules

NCAA Recruiting Rules Summary

NCAA Initial-Eligibility Center

• Initiate registration with the Eligibility Center by completing a NCAA student release form during your junior year. See your guidance counselor for forms and evaluation of your eligibility status.
• All prospective DI or DII student-athletes must complete an Amateurism Questionnaire through the Eligibility Center. If the student-athlete is a 2-year or 4-year transfer from a non NCAA Division I or Division II school, the Amateurism questionnaire is still required before he/she is eligible to compete.   
• To have your SAT or ACT test scores submitted to the Eligibility Center you should use the college code "9999" The code to have your scores sent to Franklin Pierce is "2509."

Correspondence

• Letters/printed material are permitted from coaches (or others at the college) beginning September 1 of your junior year.
• E-mail and fax are considered correspondence.
• A coach may send Electronic Media to a prospective student-athlete beginning September 1 of your junior year.
• The NCAA strictly prohibits Text Messaging and Instant Messaging to Prospective Student-Athlete's unless they have signed a National Letter of Intent

Phone Calls

• May begin June 15 after completion of your junior year.
• Limited to one per week to prospect or parent(s). (One call per institution, i.e. coach or faculty member or other athletic department personnel.) There are exceptions at the times surrounding official visits and signing dates.
• Prospect or parent(s) may phone a coach as often as they wish.
• Enrolled collegiate student-athletes may not make recruiting calls.
• You may telephone enrolled collegiate student-athletes at your own expense.
• E-mail is not considered a phone call, therefore, is not limited.

Contacts

• Definition - Any face-to-face encounter during which dialogue occurs.
• A college coach may contact a prospect or parent(s) off their campus beginning June 15 after your junior year.
• Limit of 3 contacts per institution.
• A coach may not contact a prospect during competition.
• A coach may contact parents during competition.

Evaluations

• Definition - Any off-campus activity designed to assess athletics and/or academics.
• There is no limit to the number of evaluations an institution may conduct in Div. II.

Tryouts

• Division II institutions may conduct one tryout per prospect per sport on its campus, not to exceed two hours in length.
• Only seniors who have completed their sport season or are in a term other than the "traditional" sport season may participate.
• Prior to participation in a tryout, a prospective student-athlete is required to undergo a medical examination or evaluation administered or supervised by a physician (e.g.; family physician, team physician). This examination must be completed within six months of the tryout.
• High school potential student-athletes may use a physical that was within six months of participation in practice, competition or out-of-season conditioning activities during their senior year of high school as long as it was accepted by their high school for their participation in athletics during that senior year.
• Prospect's strength, speed, agility and sport skills may be tested; Ice hockey and lacrosse tryouts may not include competition.
• During the academic year, competition is permissible against the member institution's team in a tryout.
• An institution may provide clothing and equipment to a prospect if it is returned at the conclusion of the tryout.

Unofficial Visits

• A visit made to the institution at the prospect's own expense.
• May make unofficial visits an unlimited number of times.
• May be made before your senior year in high school.

Official Visits

• A visit made to the institution's campus at the expense of that institution.
• Maximum of 5 Official Visits may be made, but only one per institution.
• 48-hour limit.
• You must provide the college with an academic transcript and an ACT or SAT test score prior to the visit.
• Entertainment money may not be used to buy souvenirs for yourself.
• Prospect may receive transportation.
• Prospect and parents may receive meals, lodging and admission to campus events.
• A prospect visiting an institution may participate in physical workouts provided the activities are not organized or observed by members of the coaching staff.
• Prospective student-athletes must be registered with the NCAA Eligibility Center; and be placed on the institutional request list (IRL).