NCAA Division I Football Recruiting Calendar August 1, 2011 through July 31, 2012 

(See NCAA Division I Bylaw 13.17.4 for Football Calendar Formula)

The dates in this calendar reflect the application of Bylaw 13.17 at the time of publication of this document but are subject to change per NCAA Constitution 5.2.3.1 or if certain dates change (e.g., National Letter of Intent signing dates).

• August 1 through November 26, 2011, [except for (1) below]: Quiet Period
  • (1) 42 evaluation days (54 for U.S. service academies) (see Bylaw 13.02.6.2) during the months of September, October and November, (not to exceed a period of 42 days) selected at the discretion of the institution and designated in writing in the office of the director of athletics; authorized off-campus recruiters shall not visit a prospective student-athlete’s educational institution on more than one calendar day during this period: Evaluation Period
• November 27, 2011, through January 28, 2012, [except for (1) through (7) below]: Contact period
  • Six in-person off-campus contacts per prospective student-athlete shall be permitted during this time period with not more than one permitted in any one calendar week (Sunday through Saturday) or partial calendar week:
  • (1) December 18, 2011, all junior college prospective student-athletes who intend to enroll midyear: Quiet Period
  • (2) December 19-22, 2011, all junior college prospective student- athletes who intend to enroll midyear [except for (a) below]: Dead Period
    • (a) Institutional staff members may have contact with a prospective student-athlete who has been admitted for midyear enrollment, provided the prospect has signed a National Letter of Intent or other offer of admission and/or financial aid to attend the institution and is required to be on campus to attend institutional orientation sessions for all students: Contact Period
  • (3) January 4-8, 2012, all junior college prospective student-athletes who intend to enroll midyear: Quiet Period
  • (4) December 18, 2011: Quiet Period
  • (5) December 19, 2011, through January 3, 2012, [except for (a) below]:  Dead Period
    • (a) Institutional staff members may have contact with a prospective student-athlete who has been admitted for midyear enrollment, provided the prospect has signed a National Letter of Intent or other offer of admission and/or financial aid to attend the institution and is required to be on campus to attend institutional orientation sessions for all students: Contact Period
  • (6) January 8, 2012: Quiet Period
  • (7) January 9-12, 2012, [except for (a) below]: Dead Period
    • (a) Institutional staff members may have contact with a prospective student-athlete who has been admitted for midyear enrollment, provided the prospect has signed a National Letter of Intent or other offer of admission and/or financial aid to attend the institution and is required to be on campus to attend institutional orientation sessions for all students: Contact Period
• January 29, 2012: Quiet Period
• January 30 through February 2, 2012: Dead Period
• February 3 through April 14, 2012: Quiet Period
• April 15 through May 31, 2012, [except for (g) below]: Evaluation Period
  • One hundred sixty-eight evaluation days (216 for U.S. service academies) (see Bylaw 13.02.6.2) (excluding Memorial Day and Sundays) selected at the discretion of the member institution and designated in writing in the office of the director of athletics [as provided in (1) below]:
  • (1) An authorized off-campus recruiter may use one evaluation to assess the prospective student-athlete’s athletics ability and one evaluation to assess the prospective student-athlete’s academic qualifications during this evaluation period). If an institution’s coaching staff member conducts both an athletics and an academic evaluation of the prospective student-athlete on the same day during this evaluation period, the institution shall be charged with the use of an academics evaluation only and shall be permitted to conduct a second athletics evaluation of the prospective student-athlete on a separate day during this evaluation period.
• (g) Those days in April/May not designated above for evaluation opportunities: Quiet Period
• June 1 through July 31, 2012: Quiet Period

Glossary of terms

Contact occurs any time a coach has any face-to-face contact with a prospective student-athlete or the prospect’s parents off the college’s campus and says more than hello. A contact also occurs if a coach has any contact with the prospective student-athlete or his or her parents at the prospective student-athlete’s high school or any location where the prospect is engaging in competition or practice.

Contact period is the time when a college coach may have in-person contact with a prospective student-athlete and the prospect’s parents on or off the college’s campus. The coach may also watch the prospective student-athlete play or visit his or her high school. The prospect and the parents may visit a college campus, and the coach may write and telephone during this period.

Dead period is a time when the college coach may not have any in-person contact with the prospective student-athlete or the prospect’s parents at any time. The coach may write and telephone during this time.

Evaluation is an activity by a coach to evaluate a prospective student-athlete’s academic or athletics ability. This would include visiting the prospective student-athlete’s high school or watching the prospect practice or compete.

Evaluation period is the time a college coach may watch a prospective student-athlete play or visit the high school but cannot have any in-person conversations with the possible recruit or the parents off the college’s campus. The prospective student-athlete and the parents can visit a college campus during this period and a coach may call or write during this period.

National Letter of Intent is the document a prospective student-athlete signs when he or she agrees to attend the designated college or university for one academic year. According to the terms of the National Letter of Intent program, participating institutions agree to provide athletics financial aid for one academic year to the student-athlete, provided he or she is admitted to the institution and is eligible for financial aid under NCAA rules. An important provision of the National Letter of Intent program is a recruiting prohibition applied after a prospective student-athlete signs a National Letter of Intent. This prohibition requires participating institutions to cease recruitment of a prospective student-athlete once a National Letter of Intent is signed with another institution.

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.

Prospective student-athlete is the title given when a student enters ninth grade. It also applies when, before a student’s ninth-grade year, a college gives the student, the student’s relatives or their friends any financial aid or other benefits that the college does not generally provide to prospective students.

Quiet period is a time when the college may not have any in-person talk with the prospective student-athlete or the parents off the college’s campus. The coach may not watch the prospect play or practice.The prospective student-athlete can visit college campuses during this time and a coach may write or telephone.

Unofficial visit is any visit by a prospective student-athlete and their parents to a college campus paid for by the prospective student athlete or the prospect’s parents. The only expense the prospective student-athlete can receive from the college is three complimentary admissions to a home athletics contest. The prospect may make as many visits as he or she likes and may take the visits at any time. The only time the prospective student-athlete cannot talk with a coach during an unofficial visit is during a dead period.

Verbal commitment is the phrase used to describe a college-bound student-athlete’s commitment to a school before he or she is able to sign a National Letter of Intent. A college-bound student athlete can announce a verbal commitment at any time. While verbal commitments have become popular, they are NOT binding on either the college-bound student-athlete or the school.