College Recruiting Recruiting has changed. The advent of all the recruiting services and publications and things of that nature allow you to have easier identification of players out of state on a national basis First, we identify the prospects. That s done through recruiting services, assistance from alumni and by looking at All-State & All-America teams. Division-I Football Recruiting Coordinator Recruiting 101... "3 Lessons" Becoming "educated" goes hand-in-hand with being more heavily recruited by college coaches. In an effort to properly guide student-athletes of all academic and athletic abilities, it takes time from all family members to become educated about the recruiting process - and how to be PROACTIVE with it! The high school coaches are very helpful in the recruiting process, but the families can NOT expect the coaching staff to spearhead this effort. Here are 3 of the important LESSONS all students should understand! LESSON I: The Odds of Competing in College Don't Look Good! To understand the odds of competing in college, student-athletes must first realize that less than 5% of all HS Senior athletes ever compete in college! Recruiting is a "numbers" game, as the figures & chart below suggest... 1.65 Million HS Seniors battling for 75,000 college freshman roster spots 36,000 spots (almost ½) will be filled by America's Top 2% (Div. I) 39,000 spots will be filled by America's next Top 2.5% (DII/III/NAIA) Sad but true more than 9 of 10 Seniors never play college sports!
LESSON II: Changing the Odds Requires Exposure & Being Proactive! The right amount of "exposure" is never easy to determine, but a good rule of thumb is "you can never have too much exposure!" To determine if you are getting enough exposure, review the formula below. It's very general, but it's also a good "test." If these numbers are not reflective of your current recruiting strategy, it's probably time to become more PROACTIVE! 500 1000 coaches know who you are 50 100 show initial interest in you (10%) 20 still showing regular interest after 6-8 months Transcripts, videotape & weekly communication with all 20 Top 10 list is created; unofficial visits taken to all 10 (if possible) 5 colleges chosen for official visits National Letter of Intent signed with #1 choice LESSON III: Colleges Can't Recruit You if they DON'T KNOW YOU While many coaches have their own traditions & habits of recruiting student-athletes, most share a fairly standard 'system' to locate, evaluate and eventually sign the kids they want. At SAS, we invest time explaining the recruiting process at each initial family visit. According to the quote from the Division I Coach above (top of page),
recruiting services, in part, often help colleges as much as they help studentathletes. One thing's for sure... if coaches don't know you, they can't recruit you! NCAA Recruiting Rules, Guidelines and Limits All the Key Dates and Information Following all the subtleties of the college recruiting process can be tough. Rules change across divisions and over time. How can you hope to keep it all straight? When can coaches call you? And when can you call them? These are just a few of the important questions to ask. In trying to remember the NCAA recruiting rules, it is often helpful to construct a recruiting timeline. Here are some recruiting guidelines to keep in mind: Prior to September 1st, Junior Year: Until this point, college coaches must follow strict recruiting rules. Coaches can only send you questionnaires, sport brochures, and NCAA education information. You are, however, allowed to call coaches; they just can't call you back. (Be aware of this if you intend to leave a voicemail message.) In addition, you can make unofficial visits to college campuses. Any meeting with coaches must take place on campus. After September 1st, Junior Year: NCAA recruiting rules become slightly less strict. Coaches can now send all kinds of information about their school. They can even send personalized letters. Coaches can also now initiate email contact with you.
July 1, between Junior and Senior Year: Although this date varies slightly by division (see the brief college recruiting calendar), this is the general date after which college coaches are allowed to make phone calls to you. And, coaches are finally allowed to make personal contact with you off the college campus. Senior Year: During the senior year, NCAA recruiting rules reach their most relaxed state. You can have as many as five NCAA official visits (or, you can take NCAA unofficial visits) to college campuses after the first day of your senior year. These visits cannot last longer than 48 hours. Before you can make a visit, a coach must have both an official copy of either your SAT or ACT scores and a copy of your high school transcript. NCAA Recruiting Schedule: The 3 Most Important Dates Knowing the NCAA recruiting schedule is essential to success in the recruiting process. Just as important as knowing how to get recruited is knowing when you can get recruited. The recruiting process can be spread over several years, and at times can seem completely overwhelming. "When am I supposed to do this? What's the best time to do that?" It could be hard to know the answer to such questions. Until now. Here's a brief outline of the NCAA recruiting schedule. Keep in mind these 3 essential dates: September 1st of your Junior Year: The first important date in the NCAA recruiting schedule. After this date, coaches can send you much more stuff: personalized letters, media guides, official team schedules,
academic publications, etc. In addition, coaches can now email you, and respond to your emails. July 1st after Junior Year: Though this date varies across divisions, it is a generally important point in the NCAA recruiting schedule. After this date, coaches are allowed to call you, as often as once a week. (You can call them as much as you like.) Coaches are also now allowed to make official "contact" with you off campus. First day of Senior Year: After this crucial day, you can begin having official visits to colleges. NCAA recruiting guidelines stipulate that you can have up to 5 official visits, none of which may last longer than 48 hours. Before you can make a visit, a coach must have an official copy of both your high school transcript and either your SAT or ACT scores. Remember, though, that while these dates can form a rough NCAA recruiting schedule, they don't need to confine you. For instance, while coaches can't always call you, you are allowed to call them at any date. College Recruiting Calendar: Key Dates You Should Know The recruiting process is in many ways a terrifying beast. It is a long, draining process. There are so many NCAA recruiting guidelines to keep track of. At the same time, it is essential that you play the game right, since you only get one chance. How can you avoid being overwhelmed by this time-consuming process? It's tough, but doable. Here is a brief overview of some key dates, so you know where (and when) to focus your energy: September 1, Junior year - Coaches can send you written correspondence about recruiting. May, Junior year - You can receive one call from any institution.
July 1, between Junior and Senior year - Division I coaches can call you. June 15, between Junior and Senior year - Division II coaches can call you. Immediately after completion of your Junior year - Division III coaches can call you. Remember, though, that you can initiate contact with a college coach any time. Other important recruiting dates to put in your NCAA recruiting schedule include each school's admission deadline and National Signing Day, which is always on the first Wednesday in February.