Athletics Veritas is a weekly series aimed at helping higher education executives, faculty, and other stakeholders stay tuned in on trending national issues impacting college athletics, especially NCAA Division I. Athletics Veritas is created by senior DI athletic administrators around the nation.
Term-in-Ology: Women’s Basketball Off-Campus Contacts Begin In March … For The Last Time
For most sports, the first opportunity for a Division I coach to contact a prospect (or their family members) off-campus is August 1 at beginning of prospect’s junior year.
However, women’s basketball has had a different timeframe to begin off-campus contacts. In women’s basketball, off-campus recruiting contacts shall not be made with an individual (or the individual's family members) before March 1 of the individual's junior year in high school. Contacts that occur during a prospect’s junior year may occur only at the prospect’s educational institution or residence.
That March 1st date will be changed beginning with next year’s recruiting cycle, so this recent March 1st will be last one under the current rule. Specifically, off-campus recruiting contacts beginning next year cannot be made until September 1 at the beginning of an individual’s senior year in high school. The net effect is that current high school sophomores and younger athletes will have a longer wait before coaches can contact them off-campus. This change to women’s basketball off-campus contact date was recently adopted as part of package of recruiting policy changes specific to women’s basketball.
Athletics Veritas is presented for information purposes only and should not be considered advice or counsel on NCAA compliance matters. For guidance on NCAA rules and processes, always consult your university’s athletics compliance office, conference office, and/or the NCAA.
