Q: When are prospects eligible for recruiting contact?

High school prospects may be contacted during permissible contact periods on or after July 1, after completion of their junior year.

Exception: Members of the athletics staffs at U.S. Air Force, Military, and Naval Academies can contact prospects who are in their junior year.

In NCAA Divisions I and II, they can send prospects recruiting materials (even general correspondence about athletics) on or after September 1 of the prospect's junior year in high school.

General correspondence, faxes or e-mail, newspaper clippings, pre-enrollment information, game programs, one annual athletics publication, official academic, admissions and student-services publications, schedule cards, and student-athlete handbooks. The following can be sent prior to September 1 of the prospect's junior year in high school:

Educational information published by the NCAA, questionnaires and summer camp brochures.

Prospects' official visits are paid for by an institution; unofficial visits are paid for by the individual prospects. If an institution pays for any of a prospect's expenses or provides entertainment other than activities expressly permitted by NCAA regulations the prospect's visit becomes official.

Prospects may take unofficial visits at any time.

Exception: There can be no unofficial visits for Men's Basketball in the month of July.

A prospect may take an unlimited number of unofficial visits. A high school senior may take a maximum of five (5) official visits to NCAA institutions (with no more than one permitted to any one institution)

An institution may provide round trip transportation between the prospect's home and their campus, or the prospect's school and their campus, using a direct route.

They may provide car-mileage reimbursement, to the individual incurring the expenses (except for the prospect's coach).

They may also pay for bus or train fare, and coach air fare for commercial flights, or air fare at established charter rates for noncommercial flights.

An official visit by a prospect cannot last longer than 48 hours. There is no time limit on unofficial visits.

In Division I, on an unofficial visit, an institution may not provide or arrange for free lodging or meals. On an official visit, an institution may provide meals and lodging to a prospect and the prospect's parents (or legal guardians) or spouse. Additional persons (e.g., prospect's brother, sister, friend) may stay in the same room as the prospect (or prospect's parents), but the institution may not pay costs resulting from additional occupants, and any additional occupants may not be prospects being recruited by that institution.

In sports other than Division I-A and I-AA football and Women's basketball, institutions are limited to seven recruiting opportunities of which not more than three may be contacts (regardless of the number of sports in which the prospect is being recruited).

In Divisions I-A and I-AA Football, institutions are limited to six in-person, off-campus recruiting contacts with a prospect (or the prospect's relatives or legal guardians) at any site. Not more than one contact is permitted in any calendar week (Sunday through Saturday) or partial calendar week. Any in-person, off-campus contact made with a prospect regarding the signing of a letter of intent or other commitment to attend an institution is prohibited. The head coach may make in-person, off-campus contact with a prospect (or the prospect's parents or legal guardians) only during one calendar day. The contact may occur at both the site of the prospect's school and away from the school grounds. Assistants can accompany the head coach during those contacts, as long as they still comply with other regulations that normally apply to them

In Division I Women's Basketball, they are limited to five recruiting opportunities of which not more than three may be contacts.

In Division I Ice Hockey, they are limited to seven recruiting opportunities (contacts & evaluations) per prospect, of which not more than three may be contacts.

Prospects may be visited or evaluated at their homes, schools, or other off-campus sites, as well as on an institution's campus. There are guidelines for contacts or evaluations at each site.

In Division I Football, an institution can visit a prospect's school no more than once a week during a contact period, regardless of whether the visit is for contact or evaluation purposes or if there is more than one prospect that is being recruited at a particular school. Divisions I-A and I-AA football, coaches may visit a prospect's school on one day, and only for evaluation purposes, during the October - November evaluation period.

In Division I Basketball, an institution can visit a prospect's school no more than once a week during a contact or evaluation periods. Visiting a prospect's school on consecutive days to observe a tournament or tier of a tournament counts as a single visit. Prospects cannot be contacted before any athletics competition at any site on the days that the prospects are participants. In Division I coaches may visit a prospect's school on one day, and only for evaluation purposes, during the November 21- March 15 evaluation period (men) or October 8 -February 28 evaluation period (women).

In Divisions I sports other than football and basketball, college staff such as faculty members and coaches can make telephone calls to prospects (or the prospect's parents or legal guardians) on or after July 1, after prospects have completed their junior year in high school. Division II may make telephone calls on or after June 15, after prospect have completed their junior year. After the initial call, institutions are permitted to make only one call per week to each prospect (or their parents or legal guardians).

In Division I-A and I-AA Football, an institution's coaches may telephone a prospect once between April 15 through May 31 of the prospect's junior year in high school. Additional telephone calls to a prospect [or a prospect's relatives or legal guardians(s)] may not be made before September 1 of the beginning of the prospect's senior year in high school , thereafter, such telephone contact is limited to once a week outside of a contact period. During a contact period, such telephone contact may be made at the institution's discretion.

In Division II Football, unlimited phone calls to a prospect can be made during a contact period and once a week outside of a contact period.

In Division I Men's Basketball, an institution is permitted to make one telephone call per month to a prospect [or the prospect's parents or legal guardian(s)] on or after June 15 of the prospect's sophomore year in high school through July 31 of the prospect's junior year in high school. Further, An institution is permitted to make two telephone calls per week to a prospect [or the prospect's parents or legal guardian(s)] beginning August 1 prior to the prospect's senior year in high school.

In Division I Women's Basketball, an institution is permitted to make one telephone call to a prospect [or the prospect's parents or legal guardian(s)] may be made during each of the months of April and May of the prospect's junior year in high school. One call may be made on or after June 1 and June 20 and one call may be made on or after June 21 through June 30 of the prospect's junior year in high school. In addition, only three telephone calls to a prospect [or the prospect's parents or legal guardian(s)] may be made during the month of July following the prospect's junior year in high school, with no more than one telephone call per week.

In Division I Ice Hockey, it is permissible to make one telephone call to a prospect who is a resident of a foreign country during the month of July after completion of the prospect's sophomore year in high school.

After the calendar day on which a prospect has signed a Letter of Intent to attend an institution (or, for institutions not subscribing to the National Letter of Intent, the calendar day after the prospect's signed acceptance of the institution's written offer of admission and/or financial aid), there are no limits on the number of contacts the college can have with the prospect (or the prospect's relatives or legal guardians) or evaluations of the prospect. However there are guidelines.

The National Letter of Intent is a standard form used by many Divisions I and II institutions, and it has an initial date for prospects to sign their letters. In all Division I sports, this date is surrounded by a four-day dead period, when no on-or-off - campus contacts or evaluations of prospects can occur. In Division II sports, a 48-hour dead period precedes the initial signing date. During the dead period, the letter must be mailed to the prospect; it cannot be hand-delivered. The letter may be delivered by express mail, courier service, regular mail or facsimile machine. Any in-person, off-campus contact made with a prospect for the purpose of signing a letter of intent or attendance at activities related to the signing of a letter of intent or other commitment to attend an institution is prohibited.

During the recruiting process, it is permissible to make scholarship offers to prospects-that is, grant-in-aid to attend an institution. The following items are examples of PROHIBITED financial offers:

• Cash
• Employment arrangements for a prospect's relatives
• Co-signing of loans
• Loans to a prospect's friends or relatives

An institution can offer several types of benefits to prospects, in addition to financial aid. These benefits include job arrangements, assistance in obtaining educational loans, summer housing, admission to athletics events and alumni events.

Job arrangements - An institution may arrange for a prospect's employment. The prospect may not begin the job until after the completion of the prospect's senior year in high school.

Complimentary admissions to athletic events - An institution may provide free admissions to campus athletics events to prospects visiting their campus. On official visits, the prospect's parents (or legal guardians) or spouses also may receive free admissions to campus athletics events. On unofficial visits, they may provide a maximum of three complimentary admissions for prospects and the individuals who accompany them, such as parents or friends. In Division I during the conduct of the event (including intermission) prospects and the other guests must be seated in the general seating section and not in special boxes, press areas or the team's bench area.

Summer housing - Prospects may rent dormitory space from an institution over the summer. These arrangements must be part of that institution's regular policy and be available to all prospective students.

Prospects, or their families, can arrange press conferences to announce their decisions regarding enrollment. They must act independently; the institution and its boosters cannot be involved.