The NCAA Rule Changes You Need to Know!

The NCAA Rule Changes You Need to Know!

On April 25, 2018, a sweeping set of NCAA recruiting rules went into effect for Division I sports. We at Tackling College Sports agree with these changes and hope that it is just the beginning. Here are some of the changes and the impact they will have on student-athletes (SA’s) in sports other than Football and Men’s Women’s Basketball:

Official visits: Recruits can now start taking official visits starting September 1 of their junior year of high school. In the past, official visits were not permitted until the SA’s senior year of high school.

Camps and clinics: Recruits and college coaches are not allowed to have any recruiting conversations during camps prior to September 1 of the SA’s junior year of high school. Prior to this legislation, there were no set rules regarding contacts at camps or clinics.

Unofficial visits: College athletic departments (this includes college coaches) are not allowed to be involved in a potential SA’s unofficial visits. Prior to this legislation, SA’s could have recruiting conversations with coaches as well as have these visits set up by coaches.

D1 softball: The softball committee has made it illegal for college coaches to have recruiting conversations or send recruiting messages through a SA’s club/high school coach or other third parties. As a result of this new rule, no one can reach out to college coaches on a SA’s behalf before September 1 of their junior year of high school.

WHY?

The NCAA hopes these rule changes will cut back on the number of SA’s getting verbal offers as eighth-graders, freshmen, and sophomores in high school. Athletes will now have more time to research colleges and focus on developing athletically and academically. Once they are juniors and seniors in high school, they will be better equipped to decide which college or university is right for them. Many of the coaches we have spoken to on the Tackling College Sports Podcast agree that the past landscape had been difficult for SA’s and coaches alike. This should bring some degree of clarity to what is, and what is not permissible – allowing SA’s to make the recruiting process a little less stressful. Kudos to the NCAA for these initial steps!

What This Means For You

For the SA’s and parents of SA’s, these changes should not affect your timelines in the recruiting process. You should continue to follow through with the plans of cover letters, resumes, video, visits, etc. As always, TCS is always here to help you navigate the process. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us or listen to one of our podcasts at www.tacklingcollegesports.com

Keep an eye out this week as we release our next podcast episode featuring a Division I coach from a big-time program in the ACC.

Until next time…BE YOUR BEST!