⏱️NCAA recruiting timeline
Key dates and guidelines on how to navigate the NCAA Volleyball recruiting timeline
One of the most common questions we get from families is how to get started with the recruiting process. If you aspire to play volleyball at the collegiate level in the United States, understanding the NCAA recruiting timeline is key to navigating the recruiting process.
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has specific rules and regulations regarding recruiting.
In this guide we will cover key dates and guidelines on how to navigate the process effectively. These guidelines are based on many interviews with college coaches and successfully recruited athletes.
This guide is mostly focused on the Division I and Division II timeline. Division III has very few restrictions on the recruiting process. See the key dates summary table below for more details about the difference between Division I, II and II.
Freshman year: Research colleges
During the Freshman and Sophomore years Division I and Division II coaches are not allowed to communicate directly with recruits or their families. You can email coaches, but they are not allowed to respond.
Aside from improving your game and maintaining good grades, you should start to narrow down a list of 10-15 schools that could be a good fit for you.
As you research colleges, take into account the NCAA division they participate in, their scholarship availability, academic options, size, location, and other factors that are important for you.
By the end of the Freshman year, you should:
List 10-15 colleges you are interested in learning more about
Have a list of coaches and their contact details (this will be important later)
Visit a few of your favorite schools, online and in person (this would be considered an unofficial visit that you would pay for on your own)
Check with your high school that their coursework meets NCAA course requirements.
Sophomore year: Build your athlete profile and email coaches
During most of your sophomore year, coaches are still unable to communicate with athletes directly. Use this time to invest in building your athlete profile.
The most crucial part of your athlete profile is your highlight videos. Coaches will use your highlight video as an initial screening, and this is often the deciding factor of whether to continue the process with you or not. To repeat, your highlight video is the most important part of your athlete profile. The goal of your highlight video is to get a college coach to come watch you in person. It is extremely rare to be recruited exclusively from your highlight video.
In addition to your highlight video, if coaches are interested, they will also want to know more about you: what club you play for, your GPA, height, vertical touch, and your graduating year.
After your initial email to a coach, if they are interested, they will do their own research, so make sure that your public information is in good shape. Add your information to your athlete profile, and make sure your social media is in good shape.
You should start emailing coaches before June 15th to get on their radar, even if they can't respond to you. You should aim for at least 2-3 emails before June 15th, each with a different highlight video.
Summer camps are a great opportunity for coaches to see you in person for the first time. Do your research and let the college coaches know ahead of time if you will be attending their camp
Key date: June 15th of your Sophomore year
College coaches can start communicating with recruits - After this date, college coaches from Division I and Division II can start communicate directly with recruits or their families.
Coaches can make a verbal offer to recruits - While this is not an official/binding offer, verbal offers and acceptances are typically honored. Recruits do not receive a written offer (National Letter of Intent) until mid-November of their senior year.
Official visits to Division II colleges are allowed - See our guide for tips on how to plan your visits.
Junior year: Step up your exposure
During your Junior year, you want to make sure you communicate regularly with coaches and you start forming a relationship with them. Be persistent with the schools that you like. Continue sending them highlight videos and share key tournaments you will be attending.
Start narrowing down your college list. Follow their social media and make sure you visit them in-person to increase your exposure.
Academically, you should consider taking your SAT / ACT exams and research and stay up to date with the eligibility requirements by the NCAA, as these change frequently. To prepare for you summer visits, you will also need to register with the NCAA Eligibility center.
Summer camps are even more important between your Sophomore and Junior year. They are a great way to get in front of coaches before you can begin taking official and unofficial visits on August 1st prior to your Junior year.
Key date: August 1st prior to your Junior year
Official and unofficial visits to Division I colleges are allowed. See our guide for tips on how to plan your visits.
Senior year: Apply to schools and finalize your offers
Communication continues to be the key at the beginning of the Senior year. As you approach the finish line, you want to make sure college coaches have your latest highlight videos and raw footage.
Make sure your public information is up to date, and that you meet all the NCAA eligibility requirements.
Your next big step is filling out and sending application forms to colleges. Check with your respective schools on deadlines for applications. If you are applying through athletics (whether you are a scholarship athlete or not), make sure you communicate with your coaches on the application process and requirements as they may differ from the general public.
In addition to applying for athletic scholarship, you can also apply for FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) by October 1st of your senior year.
The deadlines for applications and offer acceptance vary from college to college, so make sure to research their specific timeline.
Key dates for receiving and signing offers:
Mid-November of Senior year: Division I and Division II colleges can start sending written offers to recruits.
December 1st- February 16th: The quiet period, Division I communication is only allowed on campus. (These dates change all of the time. See the NCAA division I recruiting calendar for more details)
Once you have made your decision on what school to attend, be sure to communicate with every college coach you have been actively communicating with throughout your recruiting journey. Much like you would prefer to hear from a school directly if they went in another direction, they also need to hear from you that you have chosen another school. (They should NOT find out on social media before you have communicated with them!) Try to avoid burning any bridges as you never know what your future may hold!
After you accept an offer and commit to a college, continue to regularly communicate with your future coaches. Most colleges will have a summer training program for you, but if not, prepare one yourself and share it with them. Your relationship with your coach will be crucial during your college years.
Summary of key NCAA dates for volleyball recruiting
Recruiting rules vary quite a bit between NCAA Division I, II or III. Here is a summary of the key dates for each division
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