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General process

To be considered a “recruited prospective student-athlete”, athletes must be approached by a college coach or representative about participating in that college’s athletic program. NCAA guidelines specify how and when they can be contacted. Letters, telephone calls, and in-person conversations are limited to certain frequency and dates during and after the student's junior year. The NCAA also determines when the athletes can be contacted by dividing the year into four recruiting and non-recruiting periods:[2]

1. During a contact period, recruiters may make in-person, on- or off-campus contacts and evaluations. Coaches can also write and/or phone athletes during this period.[3]

2. During an evaluation period, they can only assess academic qualifications and playing abilities. Letters and phone calls are permitted;[3] in-person, off-campus recruiting contacts are not permitted.

3. During a quiet period, they may make in-person recruiting contacts only on the college campus. Off-campus, recruiters are limited to phone calls and letter-writing.[3]

4. During a dead period, they cannot make in-person recruiting contacts or evaluations on- or off-campus or permit official/unofficial visits. However, phone calls and letters are permitted.[3]

During the recruiting process, the prospective student-athlete goes on an official visit to the school that they're being recruited by. An official visit is a prospective student-athlete’s visit to a college campus paid for by the college. The college can pay for transportation to and from the college, room, and meals (three per day) while visiting and reasonable entertainment expenses, including three complimentary admissions to a home athletics contest. NCAA recruiting bylaws limit the number of official visits a recruit may take to five.[2] The NCAA has imposed stringent rules limiting the manner in which competing university-firms may bid for the newest crop of prospective student-athletes. Such rules limit the number of visits, which a student-athlete may make to a given campus, the amount of his expenses that may be covered by the university-firm, and so forth.[4]

How to Prepare as a Student-Athlete
For prospective student-athletes who are serious about competing at the collegiate level, the process starts as early as the first year of high school. There are many athletic opportunities outside of just the Division I level. Regardless of the desired playing level or sport, there are steps to success in finding the right team. Michael Moffitt highlights his seven steps to getting recruited. The steps are divided into two sections.

Freshman & Sophomore Year
The first two years of high school should be dedicated to forming strong habits both inside the classroom and in athletics. A competitive drive in the classroom can open up many recruitment opportunities. Some things to consider when in this stage are to take challenging classes and having success within them. If possible, take higher level classes to appeal to recruiters and coaches. The NCAA has selected courses in which all high school student athletes must have in order to be considered eligible. Another requirement for student-athletes is to take the ACT or SAT. A sliding scale is used to balance ACT or SAT scores with the athlete's cumulative GPA. Having a high GPA also allows for a wider selection of colleges and universities. A minimum of a 2.0 GPA within the NCAA core courses is required to be eligible.

Carrying over this competitive attitude from the classroom to athletics can also boost an athlete's potential. Student-athletes who can show independence from the actions and attitudes of other teammates can quickly distinguish the two. In order to look like a truly valuable addition to a college level team. Athletes have to be willing to take the extra step in practice and training. Early signs of leadership qualities can also be a vital factor in making a name for oneself. Athletes have to be willing to advertise themselves in order to take advantage of the many choices in commitment.

Junior & Senior Year
The last two years of high school are about making oneself known. Ideally, having recordings of any time in competition are the best way for college coaches to see what an athlete can do. This "highlight reel" allows athletes to showcase their strengths and weaknesses when playing against competitors. Along with this highlight reel, a strong social media platform will also allow coaches to get to know athletes on a personal level. Take advantage of email, text, and in-person visits to form relationships with coaches. Being the first person to start conversation shows proactivity. When communicating; however, be aware of the NCAA, NAIA, or NJCAA contact periods in which you may experience restricted or limited access to coaches. Lastly, it is important to choose colleges that are realistic given the athlete's current goals and performances in class and in sports. Working with high school counselors and admissions for prospective colleges can aid this process.

Amateurism
It is also important to keep in mind that the NCAA has a strict policy regarding amateurism. In order to be eligible to compete collegiately the NCAA has designed questions to verify that one is an amateur. Amateurism is defined as not signing a contract with a professional team, not playing with or against professionals, not accepting compensation for playing sports, and not having an agent. If an athlete falls under any of the mentioned terms; for example, he or she has received payment for playing then he or she may be deemed ineligible for collegiate play.

National Letter of Intent

During recruitment, a college coach may ask a prospective player to sign a National Letter of Intent or NLI for short. The NLI is a voluntary program with regard to both institutions and student-athletes. No prospective student-athlete or parent is required to sign the NLI, and no institution is required to join the program.[5] By signing a NLI, a prospective student-athlete agrees to attend the designated college or university for one academic year. Pursuant to the terms of the NLI program, participating institutions agree to provide athletics financial aid to the student-athlete, provided he/she is admitted to the institution and eligible for financial aid under NCAA rules. An important provision of this program serves as a recruiting prohibition applied after a prospective student-athlete signs an NLI[5] This prohibition requires participating institutions to cease recruitment of a prospective student-athlete once an NLI is signed with another institution. The NLI has many advantages to both prospective student-athletes and participating educational institutions:[5]

(A) Once a NLI is signed, prospective student-athletes are no longer subject to further recruiting contacts and calls.[2]

(B) Student-athletes are assured of an athletics scholarship for a minimum of one full academic year.[2]

(C) By emphasizing a commitment to an educational institution, not particular coaches or teams, the program focuses on a prospective student-athlete's educational objectives.[2]

In professional sports, the services of athletes are secured via an exclusive contract with an organization. By comparison, the services of many college athletes are secured through recruiting services established by the athletic departments which include staff members and influential friends of the institutions. The college athlete normally signs an exclusive contract, such as the NLI, at the expense of losing a year's eligibility if he chooses to transfer to another institution of his choosing.[1] The NLI program is subscribed to by all major athletic conferences and nearly all-independent universities. NCAA Division I is likely to create its own NLI for each sport and, in addition, designate a different signing date for each sport in order to reduce the time and expense incurred when the recruiting season is overly long.[4]

References

Renick, Jobaynn (2012). "The Use and Misuse of College Athletics". 45 (7): 550. JSTOR 1980793. "NCAA". Recruiting. Retrieved 2012-04-18. "Playing the NCAA Game". Rules for Recruitment. Retrieved 2012-04-18. Koch, James V. "A Troubled Cartel: The NCAA". 38 (1): 135–150. JSTOR 1190965. "National Letter of Intent". Retrieved 2012-04-18. Letawsky, Nicole R.; Schneider; Pederson; Palmer (27 March 2012). "Factors influencing the college selection process of student-athletes: are their factors similar to non-athletes". College Student Journal. Retrieved 28 March 2012. Drescher, John. "Hazards, Benefits of College Sports Programs". The News & Observer. Retrieved 19 April 2012. NCAA Division 1 Manuel. "The National Collegiate Athlete Association". Missing or empty |url= (help) "Bylaw 15.5.1.9.1 Limitation on Number of National Letter of Intent/Offer of Financial Aid Signings—Bowl Subdivision Football" (PDF). 2016–17 NCAA Division I Manual. NCAA. p. 192. Retrieved April 27, 2017. "Bylaw 15.5.6.1 Football Limitations:—Bowl Subdivision Football" (PDF). 2016–17 NCAA Division I Manual. NCAA. p. 195. Retrieved April 27, 2017. "Bylaw 15.5.6.2 Football Limitations:—Championship Subdivision Football" (PDF). 2016–17 NCAA Division I Manual. NCAA. p. 195. Retrieved April 27, 2017. Stephenson, Creg (April 14, 2017). "NCAA adopts 10th assistant, restricts off-field staff hires, satellite camps in sweeping vote". The Birmingham News. Retrieved September 4, 2017. "DI Council adopts new football recruiting model" (Press release). NCAA. April 14, 2017. Retrieved April 27, 2017. Rittenberg, Adam (May 8, 2017). "Collegiate Commissioners Association approves early signing period for football". ESPN.com. Retrieved May 9, 2017. The NFL and MLB rules differ slightly. Players are not automatically eligible for the NFL Draft until the completion of their college eligibility, but can declare for the draft three years after high school. In the MLB Draft, players are automatically eligible upon high school graduation. However, if they enroll at a four-year institution, they cannot be drafted (or re-drafted) until age 21 or the end of their third year in school, whichever comes first. At that point, eligibility is once again automatic, with no need to declare.