A long time ago colleges didn’t have compliance departments to interpret NCAA rules. The NCAA rule book was less than an inch thick and coaches figured out the rules on their own.
My how times have changed. Nearly every school in the country now has a compliance department that helps the coaches stay compliant with NCAA rules. The NCAA rule book is now several inches thick and seems to be written by attorneys.
We try to keep the swimmers and parents we work with at American College Connection up to date on NCAA rules so they don’t jeopardize their eligibility. D-II rules have been changing in the last few years and have become quite different from D-I rules.
I have attempted to translate the NCAA rules on recruiting for D-II into plain English.
Contact:
Coaches can start making phone calls, sending texts and emails to recruits on June 15 after their sophomore year
phone calls, texts and emails are unlimited
Official recruiting visits:
Can be offered starting June 15 after sophomore year
Recruits are allowed to take official visits to an unlimited number of schools, but can only take one official visit to a specific school
Recruits must provide the school with current high school or college-preparatory school transcripts and must be registered with the NCAA Eligibility Center before they can take an official visit
Try outs:
If the recruit is not participating in their current high school season (club season does not count), they can actually practice with the team, “called a tryout”. They can train with the team for 2 hours (great way to see if they like the coaching style and atmosphere on deck).
The recruit must present a physical from their doctor or school before they are allowed to get in the water.
Evaluations:
Beginning June 15 after sophomore year coaches can make off-campus visits to recruits and to high schools and competitions sites, although contact is NOT allowed during competition and the coach cannot be on deck
I know this is an old article. I had a question I’m hoping someone could answer. We have been told all the D1 rules so many times… July 1st, 5 trips, no practice etc….
Here is my question. My daughter is considering some D2 and D1 schools. How do the NCAA 2 and 1 rules intermix? Like if she is finishing her sophomore year and starts talking to a couple D2 coaches and takes 2 D2 officials this fall as a junior, they still commit at the same time right? Like Nov senior year is the first signing period for D2 and D1. So senior year can she only take 3 D1 official visits? Or are they completely separate… Read more »
Having questions on a college swim coach coaching a high school team as well.
Thanks for this information, so many just focus on the “big schools” when looking for opportunities. We worked with Rick and American College Connection a couple of years ago, and ended up with an opportunity for our daughter at a D-II school that we would have never known or found out about on our own. Guess what, great education (mostly paid for) and an athletic experience that she would not have otherwise had. There are many hidden opportunities out there. Whether you contact Rick and his team, or check them out for yourselves, just make sure you do your homework and look for those opportunities. They are out there!
Thank you Rick! That is what I thought.
It would be allowable for the coaches to be in deck if that is the only place they can watch the meet from as long as they don’t speak with the swimmers during the meet.
Re: coach visiting a meet: can not be on deck.
What if the meet venue doesn’t have a gallery for spectators and the only way to watch a swimmer is to be on deck?
NICE that there is a concise and descriptive guidelines for high school athletes and their parents. Thanks, Rick.
Great recruiting information Rick Paine! Thank you… 🙂