The NCAA recruiting rulebook is dense, frequently updated, and written in language that assumes you’re a compliance officer. Most families learn the rules the hard way, after a violation has already occurred. This breakdown covers the fundamentals every athlete and parent must understand before engaging with college programs.
The Recruiting Calendar
The NCAA divides the recruiting year into distinct periods that control when and how coaches can contact athletes. Understanding these windows is critical, a coach reaching out to you during a dead period isn’t flattering, it’s a violation.
Contact Period
Coaches may have in-person contact with prospective athletes and their families off-campus. This is when official visits, home visits, and live evaluations happen.
Evaluation Period
Coaches can watch you compete in person at games and tournaments, but cannot have off-campus contact with you or your family. This is your window to perform in front of live evaluators.
Dead Period
No in-person contact of any kind. Coaches can still communicate by phone, text, and email, but cannot see you play or meet with you off-campus.
Quiet Period
Coaches may have in-person contact with you on their campus only, through official visits, but cannot evaluate you off-campus or attend your games.
When Can Coaches Contact You?
For Division I basketball, coaches cannot initiate contact until June 15 before your junior year. Before that date, you can contact coaches, but they cannot respond beyond a camp brochure or questionnaire.
- D1 basketball first contact: June 15 before junior year
- Official visits: no more than 5 total (D1), starting after your sophomore year
- Unofficial visits: unlimited and can occur at any time
- Verbal offers: not binding, either party can rescind
- National Letter of Intent (NLI): binding, read carefully before signing
The Transfer Portal
Since 2021, the transfer portal has fundamentally changed college recruiting. Athletes can now enter the portal once per year and transfer without sitting out a season.