NCAA Football Recruiting Rules

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Written by Darrell Owenby

Tuesday, 19 January 2010 19:39

ncaa football We love e-mail. If you ever have any questions regarding the SEC, NCAA recruiting rules, or a general sports question, we will always do our best to help you out. I received this e-mail yesterday:

"Football recruiting is confusing as heck. What are the different time periods that are used and what are some of the loop holes".
---J.M. Anniston, Alabama

OK, J.M., that's an excellent question!

In the NCAA recruiting season (which ends with National Signing Day on February 3rd), there are four distinct, solid 'periods' that are well defined:
Contact Period: What it says. Recruiting is wide open, as long as the long recruit has cleared his Junior year. Coaches are allowed to make contact with the recruit on or off-campus, once per week. Coaches may meet with prospects with or without the prospect's parents present. Coaches are allowed to attend games. Coaches are also allowed to make contact via writing or phoning the recruit.

At the same time, coaches must be aware of 'rolling' quiet and dead periods that are spelled out on the NCAA Recruiting Calendar.

Evaluation Period: The most important time in recruiting. The coaches have four weeks to evaluate the prospects' athletic and academic status. Coaches may not have in-person conversations with the recruits or their parents off-campus, but can attend games.

Quiet Period: Coaches can not have off-campus, in-person contact with recruits or parents. Coaches can not visit recruit's high schools or games. Recruits and their parents can make campus visits. Coaches can write or call recruits or parents.

Dead Period: Coaches can not have in-person contact with recruits or their parents. Coaches can call or write recruits or parents.

Do not take this for the 'be all, end all' on the periods. This is only a fast over view of the four specific recruiting periods.

Of course, for any rule exists a loop hole to the rule. When it comes to recruiting NCAA football players, the largest loop hole can be found in the contact rules.

If a high school coach visits a college football coach .... and that high school coach 'just happens' to have a particular five-star recruit with him ... the coach can not talk to the player, but can talk to the coach ... and the coach can always talk to his player.

While these four periods appear to be straight forward, keep in mind the over all recruiting calendar can be a bear. You can find definitions to NCAA terms HERE and the NCAA Recruiting Calendar (present year) can be found HERE

As always, if you have a question for our mail bag, simply click the "Contact" link at the top of the page and send us an e-mail. If we don't know the answer, we will do our best to find the answer for you. If we can't find anyone that has the answer, the last thing we will do is to attempt to blow smoke up your .... well, ya know.

Comments (5) Add Comment

Got LOHD up
written by Ritch, January 19, 2010

finally got LOHD (Gamecocks Blog) up on Bloguin.

Look forward to working with you and thanks for your help!

Is 28 the limit anyone can sign
written by Coach P, January 20, 2010

I see where Auburn has 28 committments right now and they are still trying to get more. Will they be able to sign more than the 28 and apply them to previous years or can they only sign 28 period.

Great Question!
written by DarrellO, January 20, 2010

Coach P: It is my understanding that, by SEC league rules, SEC teams can sign up to 28 per year (NCAA standard is, I believe, 30) ... but, when dealing with some of the 'grey' scenarios (such as AU and UT this year) it gets a little muddled. For example, a team has 33 total commitments: 8 come in early (January) and count against 2009's #'s ... that leaves 25 commits against a total # of 28 for the 2010 class. If I am incorrect, definitely want/expect someone to jump in and correct me.

At the same time, most teams always expect a small handful of players not to qualify academically. By offering the scholarship, the school has shown that they want the player ... the player goes to JC or Prep School, spends 1-2 years, and when they come out they may or may not sign with that team. In the short term, the school took a chance on a player that they knew might not qualify (but possibly could have) and kept that player away from their competition at the same time. The team wins either way: he qualifies, they get the player. He doesn't qualify, then they have a stronger shot at him once he clears the NCAA Clearinghouse.

Also, you have an 85 scholarship limit to deal with .... and that throws an entirely different angle on the 28 limit, especially if you are dealing with a Senior heavy class.

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