Overview

The NCAA track and field recruiting rules dictate when and how college coaches can contact potential recruits. Their goal in creating these rules was to make sure elite recruits didn't get overwhelmed by constant contact from coaches, but it can also make it tough for track and field families to know when to expect contact from college coaches.

For NCAA D1, almost all contact is off-limits until June 15 after a recruit's sophomore year in high school. On the other hand, college coaches at the D2, D3, NAIA and NJCAA (junior college) levels don't have the same restrictions on when they can reach out to recruits – they're allowed to reach out to recruits showing interest in their schools at any point in time.

NCAA Division 1 Recruiting Rules

Communication & Contact

• Any time: Athletes can receive general camp brochures, recruiting questionnaires, and non-athletic recruiting publications
• June 15 after sophomore year:
  • Coaches can begin ALL forms of private electronic correspondence (phone calls, texts, emails, social media DMs, instant messages)
  • All recruiting materials permitted (including athletic institutional publications)
  • Coaches can initiate recruiting conversations and extend verbal offers during camps/clinics
• Before June 15 after sophomore year: NO communication allowed between student-athlete or parent/guardian and D1 coach (no phone calls, texts, emails, social messages)

Recruiting Conversations

• NOT allowed until June 15 after sophomore year
• Cannot make verbal offers or hint at scholarships before this date
• Only exception: If club/high school coach asks if they're recruiting a prospect, college coach can reply "yes" or "no"

Official Visits

• Allowed starting: August 1 before junior year
• Definition: Visit where part or all (transportation, accommodations, meals, event tickets) are paid by school's athletic department

Unofficial Visits

• Allowed starting: August 1 before junior year (same as official visits)
• Definition: Visits financed entirely by recruit's family
• Good way to tour campus, meet coaches, potentially receive early verbal offers
• Can visit campuses before but cannot meet with coach or discuss recruiting

Off-Campus Contact

• Prohibited before: August 1 of junior year
• Includes contact at high school track meets or recruiting events
• Allowed starting: August 1 before junior year - coaches can have off-campus contact at recruit's home and school

NCAA Division 2 Recruiting Rules

Communication & Contact

• Any time:
  • Unlimited unofficial visits at any time
  • General camp brochures, recruiting questionnaires, non-athletic publications
  • ALL forms of private electronic correspondence (phone calls, texts, emails, social media DMs, instant messages)
  • All recruiting materials including athletic institutional publications
  • Athletes can call coaches at their own expense at any time

Official Visits & Off-Campus Contact

• June 15 before junior year: Athletes may begin taking official campus visits and coaches allowed off-campus contact

NCAA Division 3 Recruiting Rules

D3 has the most relaxed rules among NCAA divisions. Coaches typically start recruiting end of junior year and continue through senior year (sometimes well into spring of senior year).

Communication

• Recruiting materials: Can receive at any time (questionnaires, printed recruiting publications)
• Electronic communication: Coaches can use ALL forms of private electronic communications at any time (phone calls, texts, emails, social media DMs, instant messages)

Visits

• Unofficial visits: At any time
• Official visits: Beginning January 1 of junior year

Off-Campus Contact

• Allowed: Immediately following the end of sophomore year
• Can conduct contact at recruit's home or high school

NAIA Recruiting Rules

• Virtually NO restrictions
• Coaches can contact recruits freely at any time (including freshmen and sophomores)
• NAIA does NOT regulate when or how often recruits communicate with coaches
• Recruits can reach out to coaches right away, even as underclassmen
• However, NAIA coaches tend to start recruiting after D1/D2 coaches and recruit well into senior year

2025-2026 NCAA Division 1 Recruiting Calendar

Dead Periods No in-person contact, digital communication OK

• November 10-13, 2025 includes the 48 hours before and 24 hours after National Signing Day
• November 22, 2025 is the NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships
• March 13-14, 2026 are the two days of NCAA Division 1 Indoor Track & Field Championships

Contact Periods All communication permitted, face-to-face allowed

Excludes dead period dates listed above

Evaluation Periods Can watch compete, phone/email only

2025-2026 NCAA Division 2 Recruiting Calendar

Treat everything as a CONTACT PERIOD except:

Dead Periods

48 hours prior to 7 a.m. on initial date for signing NCAA financial aid agreement

2025-2026 NCAA Division 3 & NAIA Recruiting Calendar

Key Definitions

Dead Period

No in-person contact anywhere (campus, school, camps, meets). Digital communication still allowed.

Contact Period

All communication permitted. Face-to-face contact allowed at track meets, competitions, school, and home.

Evaluation Period

Can watch athletes compete and visit schools to talk with coaches/teachers. Phone/email OK but no off-campus face-to-face contact.