If you're interested in playing college football, it's important to understand the NCAA recruiting calendar. This calendar lays out the timeline for when college coaches can contact prospective student-athletes, evaluate their skills, and make scholarship offers. The NCAA updates the recruiting calendar each year, and for 2024, there are some important changes to be aware of.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Introduction
If you're interested in playing college football, it's important to understand the NCAA recruiting calendar. This calendar lays out the timeline for when college coaches can contact prospective student-athletes, evaluate their skills, and make scholarship offers. The NCAA updates the recruiting calendar each year, and for 2024, there are some important changes to be aware of.
When Does the Recruiting Process Start?
The recruiting process for college football can start as early as a student-athlete's freshman year of high school. However, coaches are not able to contact prospective student-athletes until September 1 of their junior year. This is known as the contact period, and coaches can communicate with student-athletes via email, phone calls, and social media.
Question: Can coaches contact student-athletes before September 1 of their junior year?
Answer: No, coaches are not allowed to initiate contact with student-athletes before September 1 of their junior year.
When Can Coaches Make Scholarship Offers?
Coaches are not allowed to make scholarship offers until August 1 before a student-athlete's senior year of high school. This is known as the official offer date. However, coaches can still verbally offer scholarships before this date.
Question: Can a verbal scholarship offer be binding?
Answer: No, a verbal scholarship offer is not binding. It's important for student-athletes to wait for the official offer date before making any decisions.
How Many Official Visits Can a Student-Athlete Take?
Each student-athlete is allowed to take up to five official visits to different colleges. An official visit is when the college pays for the student-athlete's expenses to visit the campus. Student-athletes can take unofficial visits to schools at any time, but they must pay for their own expenses.
Question: What is the difference between an official visit and an unofficial visit?
Answer: An official visit is when the college pays for the student-athlete's expenses to visit the campus. A student-athlete can take up to five official visits. An unofficial visit is when the student-athlete visits the campus on their own dime, and there are no restrictions on the number of unofficial visits a student-athlete can take.
What are the New Changes for 2024?
For the 2024 recruiting calendar, there are a few changes to be aware of. First, the evaluation period has been extended from April 15 to May 31. During this time, coaches can visit high schools to evaluate student-athletes. Second, the dead period has been moved from June 25 to July 4 to June 26 to July 5. During the dead period, coaches are not allowed to have any in-person contact with student-athletes.
Question: What is the evaluation period?
Answer: The evaluation period is a time when coaches can visit high schools to evaluate student-athletes. They are not allowed to have any in-person contact with the student-athletes during this time.
Conclusion
Understanding the NCAA recruiting calendar is crucial for student-athletes who are interested in playing college football. The 2024 calendar has some important changes, including an extended evaluation period and a shift in the dead period. By staying informed and following the rules, student-athletes can have a successful recruiting process and find the right fit for their college football career.
