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The National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA)-proposed legislation around “Early Recruiting,” specifically that the recruiting contact of prospective student-athletes (PSA’s) not be allowed until September 1 of the athletes’ junior, has been passed by the NCAA Div. I Council.
According to the NCAA in a release just put online within the last hour, the Div. I Council “made the decision when it met Tuesday and Wednesday” and it not only applies to softball, it applies to other sports where “for student-athletes in sports other than football and basketball, official visits now can begin Sept. 1 of a prospect’s junior year in high school instead of the first day of classes for senior year.”
The NCAA committee as well as the Student-Athlete Experience Committee have been meeting since Monday in Indianapolis to discuss and vote on the proposal which, now that it has reportedly been passed, will go to the NCAA Board of Directors on April 24 to be ratified and go into effect immediately.
The Student Committee was emphasizing tying in unofficial and official visits both not starting until Sept. 1 of the junior year as well as prohibiting recruiting conversations between coaches and athletes even at school-hosted camps, clinics and other events.
That was addressed in the NCAA’s release: “Additionally, athletics departments can’t participate in a recruit’s unofficial visit until Sept. 1 of the recruit’s junior year in high school, and recruiting conversations during a school’s camp or clinic can’t happen before Sept. 1 of the junior year. Both rules apply to all sports but football and basketball, which have their own rules.”
The NCAA also announced the following:
“Separate from the other recruiting legislation, the Council also adopted noncontroversial legislation pertinent to recruiting in softball. The new rules prevent phone calls between coaches and recruits until Sept 1 of the prospective student-athlete’s junior year and allow off-campus recruiting contact to begin the same date. The changes were requested and align with similar changes adopted in lacrosse last year.”
The NFCA also released within the last few minutes an article titled Early Recruiting Legislation for NCAA Division I Softball Passes.
One NCAA interpretation that is critical for this new rule to work is that third parties, including but not limited to travel ball and high school coaches, may not be used to circumvent NCAA recruiting rules.
Messages may not be passed through any third parties in an effort to continue recruiting communications between coaches and PSAs; this would be considered an NCAA rule violation. Consequences for NCAA rule violations can vary based on the facts and history of the parties involved. For many coaches, an NCAA rule violation can be grounds for termination.