Compliance Information for Coaches(September 2014): Recruiting Reminders

As the recruiting is always in season, here are some reminders to keep us all within NCAA regulations regarding contact with PSAs and their visits to campus.

When and how can we contact PSAs?(See attached social media guide for further clarification.)

In Division III, coaches can call, write or email you before a PSA’s senior year. During the recruiting process, Division III coaches are allowed to make unlimited calls and emails. Texting is also allowed provided it is private between the sender and the recipient.

Who else can contact a PSA throughout the recruitment process?

“Representatives of Athletics Interests” & enrolled student-athletes. These contacts are governed by the rules below.

  • Recruiting by Representatives of Athletics Interests. Representatives of an institution’s athletics interests (as defined in Bylaw 13.02.9) may make in-person, on- or off-campus recruiting contacts with a prospective student-athlete; however, such off-campus contacts may not occur until the conclusion of the prospective student-athlete’s junior year in high school.
  • Permissible Recruitment Activities for Enrolled Student-Athletes. Permissible recruitment activities for enrolled student-athletes are limited to the following:
  • Telephone contact. It is permissible for an enrolled student-athlete to receive telephone calls made at the expense of a prospective student-athlete at any time. Telephone calls made by enrolled students in accordance with an institution’s regular admissions program directed at all prospective students shall be permissible.
  • Electronic transmissions.It is permissible for an enrolled student-athlete to send electronic correspondence (e.g., electronic mail, Instant Messenger, private communication through social networking site, text messages or facsimiles) to a prospective student-athlete for the purpose of recruitment, provided the correspondence is sent directly to the prospective student-athlete (or his or her parents or legal guardians) and is private between only the sender and recipient (e.g., no use of public chat rooms, message boards, public communication through a social networking site).

When a coach visits a PSA during a competition, what is he or she allowed to do during that visit?

  • First, a college coach is only allowed to speak to those prospective student-athletes who have completely his/her junior year.
  • Second, a college coach may only meet with the prospect after the competition is over when the prospect is finished with the tournament, game or meet. Contact shall not be made with the prospect from the time the prospect reports on call (at the direction of the prospect’s coach or comparable authority) and becomes involved in competition-related activity (e.g., traveling to an away-from-home game) to the end of the competition even if such competition-related activities are initiated before the day or days of competition. Contact shall not be made after the competition until the prospect is released by the appropriate coach and departs the dressing and meeting facility. If the competition is over multiple days, contact shall not be made with the prospect until after the prospect’s final contest is completed and he or she is released by the appropriate institutional authority and leaves the dressing and meeting facility.

The players we recruit are getting younger. What kind of contact can a PSA initiate with a coach before his/her senior year?

A player may make his/her own unofficial visit to campus. Before your senior year he/she may:

  • Meet with the coach
  • Meet with admissions
  • Do research on the web
  • Fill out and return the questionnaire for your sport
  • Contact the coach and ask any questions you might have

When it is time for a visit to campus. Here are some definitions and guidelines.

What is an unofficial visit?

  • An unofficial visit to a member institution by a prospect is a visit made at the prospect’s own expense.
  • A prospect may visit a member institution’s campus at his or her own expense an unlimited number of times.
  • A prospect may make unofficial visits before his or her senior year in high school.

What are the MMA coach and college allowed to do for a PSA on an unofficial visit?

  • During an unofficial visit, the institution may not pay any expenses or provide any entertainment except a maximum of three complimentary admissions to a home athletics event at any facility in which the institution’s intercollegiate team practices or competes.
  • On an unofficial visit, an institution may provide a prospect with one meal in the institution’s on-campus dining facility. An institution may provide a meal in an off-campus dining facility when all on-campus dining facilities are closed, provided the institution can certify that it is the institution’s normal policy to provide such a meal under similar circumstances to all prospective students (including non-athletes) visiting the campus.
  • An athletics department staff member may arrange academic interviews for a prospective student-athlete on an unofficial visit.
  • A prospective student-athlete on an unofficial visit may stay in an enrolled student-athlete’s dormitory room, provided the housing is available to all visiting prospective students.
  • During any unofficial recruiting visit, the institution may provide the prospective student-athlete with transportation to view practice and competition sites in the prospective student-athlete’s sport and other institutional facilities. An institutional staff member must accompany the prospective student-athlete during such a trip.
  • A member institution shall not publicize (or arrange for publicity of ) a prospective student-athlete’s visit to the institution’s campus… unless the same manner of publicity is done for prospective students generally.
  • All MMA coaches must “log” visits using the form provided at MarinerSports.org. As well, visits must be coordinated with campus security. It is highly recommended that coaches work with admissions to schedule unofficial visits. It is permissible to arrange housing with a currently enrolled PSA. Proper forms must be filled out and filed with appropriate personnel.