Recruiting Definitions
Official Visit
A visit, which may not exceed 48 hours, to a college campus by a prospective student-athlete and their parents paid for by the university. The university may pay the following expenses:
- Your transportation to and from the college;
- Room and meals (three per day and a reasonable snack) while you are visiting the college; and
- Reasonable entertainment expenses, including a maximum of six complimentary admissions to a home athletics contest.
Before a college may invite a PSA on an official visit, they must provide the university with a copy of their high school transcript; SAT, ACT or PLAN score; register with the NCAA Eligibility Center; and be placed on the institution's IRL with the NCAA Eligibility Center.
Unofficial Visit
A visit by a prospective student-athlete and their parents to a college campus paid for by you or your parents. The only expense a PSA may receive from the university is three complimentary admissions to a home athletics contest. A PSA may make as many unofficial visits as they like and may take those visits at any time. The only time a PSA cannot talk with a coach during an unofficial visit is during a dead period.
Prospective Student-Athletes
An individual becomes a "prospective student-athlete" when he or she begins classes for the ninth-grade, except in the sport of men's basketball, where an individual becomes a prospective student-athlete when he enrolls in seventh grade. After becoming a prospective student athlete, an individual remains a prospect until they enroll full-time at a four-year institution. Students may become a prospective student athlete before the ninth grade if a college gives them (or their relatives or friends) any financial aid or other benefits that the college does not provide to prospective students generally.
Recruited Prospective Student-Athlete
A prospective student-athlete becomes a "recruited prospective student-athlete" at a particular college if any coach or representative of the college's athletics interests (booster, alumnus or fan) approaches them (or any member of their family) about enrolling and participating in athletics at that college. Activities by coaches or boosters that trigger recruited status include, but are not limited to, providing a prospect with an official visit, placing more than one telephone call to a prospect or any other member of their family, or visiting a prospect or any other member of the prospect's family anywhere other than the university's campus.
Evaluation
An evaluation is an activity by a coach to evaluate PSA's academic or athletics ability. This includes visiting a PSA's high school or watching a PSA practice or compete.
Evaluation Period
An evaluation period is a period of time when it is permissible for authorized athletics department staff members to be involved in off-campus activities designed to assess the academic qualifications and playing ability of PSA's.
Contact
A contact is any face-to-face encounter with a PSA or their parents off the college's campus which any dialogue that occurs is more than just a greeting. A contact also occurs if a coach has any contact with a PSA or their parents at their high school or any location where they are competing or practicing.
Contact Period
During this time, a college coach may have in-person contact with a PSA and/or their parents on or off the college's campus. The coach may also watch a PSA play or visit their high school. A PSA and their parents may visit a college campus and the coach may write and telephone a PSA during this period.
Recruiting Period - Men's Basketball
In men's basketball, a recruiting period is a period of time when it is permissible for authorized athletics department staff members to make in-person, off-campus recruiting contacts and evaluations.
Quiet Period
The college coach may not have any in-person contact with PSA or their parents off the college's campus. The coach may not watch a PSA play or visit their high school during this period, however a PSA and their parents may visit a college campus during this time. A coach may write or telephone a PSA or their parents during this time.
Dead Period
The college coach may not have any in-person contact with PSA or their parents at any time during the dead period. The coach may write and telephone a PSA or their parents during this time.
