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NCAA Division 3 Recruiting Information

Division 3 Recruiting

The NCAA oversees the NCAA Division 3 recruiting operations.  The Division 3 recruiting rules are more relaxed than the other NCAA divisions.  There are no set NCAA Division 3 Recruiting Calendars.  College coaches at the NCAA Division 3 level can contact and recruit without certain dead periods, contact periods, and quiet periods.  Without the big athletic recruiting budgets like at the Division 1 level, the flexibility in recruiting at the Division 3 level helps level the playing field. Division 3 schools cannot offer athletic scholarship money, only academic monies.  Recruits with good grads have a better chance at getting recruited and scholarship money at the Division 3 level.  Each year nearly 184,000 student-athletes from 450 member colleges compete in 28 different sports at the Division 3 level. 

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When being contacted by coaches make sure you are not jeopardizing your eligibility.  Below is a chart that can help.

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NCAA Division 3 Recruiting Rules

As a Sophomore and Freshman in high school

Recruiting Objectives As a Sophomore and Freshman

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Recruiting Material: You may receive brochures for camps and questionnaires.
You can receive recruiting information and material from college coaches.

Telephone Calls: You can call the coach at your own expense.
College coach can call you an unlimited number of times.

Off-Campus Contact: Allowed after your sophomore year.

Official Visits: Not Permitted

Unofficial Visits: Unlimited

As a Junior in High School

Recruiting Objectives As a Junior

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Recruiting Material: You can receive recruiting material and information from the coach.

Telephone Calls: You can call the coach at your own expense.
College coach can call you an unlimited number of times.

Off-Campus Contact: Allowed

Official Visits: Allowed beginning January 1st

Unofficial Visits: Unlimited

As a Senior in high school

Recruiting Objectives As a Senior

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Recruiting Material: You can receive material and information from the coach

Telephone Calls: You can call the coach at your own expense.
College coaches can call you an unlimited number of times.

Off-Campus Contact: Allowed

Official Visits: You can start official visits on the opening day of your classes.
You get one per college.

Unofficial visits: Unlimited

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Other important Division 3 Recruiting information

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  • Division III does not have any rules on the number of evaluations/contacts per student-athlete.

  • College coaches cannot contact you on competition or practice days until your event is finished, and you are dismissed by the proper authority (like your high school coach or athletic director).

  • During a contact period college coaches can make only one visit per week to your high school.

  • A college coach can evaluate a potential recruit at all-star games throughout the year. There are no limitations for the college coach except that the game has to occur within the state that their university is located.

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