For the high school athlete looking to play at the collegiate level, the recruiting process can be one of the most exciting times of their life. It can also become one of the most confusing and difficult processes for parents and players if they are unaware and unprepared for everything the process entails. Over the next few weeks we will be sending an email out once a week with information covering the recruiting process and what to expect and prepare for. We will cover the following areas: Eligibility/Academics, Important dates for prospects and college coaches, D1 scholarships, Financial Aide outside of athletic scholarships, communications with college coaches, and college visits.

This week’s topic will take a look at some of the key recruiting dates for baseball prospects throughout their high school career as it relates to NCAA Division I recruiting rules as well as the recruiting calendar for college coaches.

Up first, the important dates for prospects.

September 1st – Junior Year: This is the first date that an NCAA Division I college baseball coach can place a phone call or send a text message to a prospect. Prior to this date any telephone correspondence between a prospect and college coach must be initiated by the prospect. This is also the first date college coaches can send prospects recruiting materials via e-mail or mail. Before this date anything coaches send must be generic in nature – camp brochures, questionnaires, etc.

July 1st – Prior to Senior Year: This is the first date that a college baseball coach can meet with a prospect in person, off-campus. Prior to this date any in-person contact between a prospect and college coach must take place on the college coach's campus (camps, unofficial visits).

August 1st - Prior to Senior Year: The first date an NCAA Division I college coach can make a scholarship offer to a prospect in writing.

First Day of School – Senior Year: This is the first date a prospect can take an official (paid) visit to an NCAA Division I school.

Second Wednesday in November – Senior Year: This is the initial signing date of the EARLY SIGNING PERIOD – the first day you can sign a National-Letter-of-Intent (NLI). Before this date any commitment is a verbal agreement only and non-binding. The early signing period lasts one week and if a prospect does not sign during this time they must wait for the April regular signing period.

Third Wednesday in April – Senior Year: This is the initial signing date of the REGULAR SIGNING PERIOD which lasts until July 31st. A prospect can sign a National Letter-of-Intent (NLI) anytime during this three and a half month period.

And now, let’s look at the recruiting calendar as it pertains to college coaches.

When the term “recruiting calendar” is used in the NCAA manual it refers to the coach’s version – basically the calendar that guides what they can do recruiting-wise and when over a 12-month period based on an academic calendar that starts in August.

In order to make sense of this calendar you need to familiarize yourself with the three different types of recruiting periods that coaches work off of (see corresponding calendar below):

Contact Period: Coaches can leave campus to watch games and meet prospects/parents in-person, off-campus. They can also host visits on campus, send recruiting materials (letters, email) and make unlimited telephone calls to prospects during this time.

Dead Period: Coaches cannot have in-person contact with prospects/parents on or off-campus during this time. They can, however, send recruiting materials (letters, email) and telephone prospects during this time (one call per week)

Quiet Period: Coaches can’t leave campus to evaluate prospects or make in-person off-campus contact with prospects/parents during this time. They can, however, host visits on their campus, send recruiting materials (letters, email) and telephone prospects (one call per week).

Here are the dates and periods for the 2015-2016 season, August 1, 2015 through July 31, 2016. These dates are subject to change for the 2016-2017 calendar, which has not been released yet.

(a) August 1-31, 2015: Contact Period

(b) September 1-10, 2015: Quiet Period

(d) November 9-12, 2015: Dead Period

(e) November 13, 2015 through February 29, 2016: Quiet Period
[except for (1) below]:
(1) January 7-10, 2016: Dead Period

(f) March 1 – July 31, 2016: Contact Period
[except for (1) below]:
(1) April 11-14, 2016: Dead Period