ExceedVarsity

Guide 6 of 12 · 10th and 11th grade

Rules and Calendar for Families

The plain-English version of the NCAA contact rules and recruiting calendar, plus how the NAIA and JUCO differ. Every date links to an official source.

Rules last updated

Season 2026-27. Rules and calendars change, so check the official links and the college's compliance office before you act.

Recruiting rules exist so that colleges compete fairly and teenagers aren't pressured. They also confuse families. This guide gives you the plain-English version and links to the official sources. For the full details and the table of sources, see Recruiting Rules.

Heads up

Rules change. This guide was last checked October 18, 2026, for the 2026-27 season. Before you plan around a date, confirm it on the official page, or with the college's compliance office. We only state what we could confirm in an official source.

The four periods, in plain English

Official rule

  • Contact period: coaches can meet you in person off campus (your school, your home, a game) and evaluate you.
  • Evaluation period: coaches can watch you play and look at your academics, but can't have an in-person conversation off campus.
  • Quiet period: in-person contact only on the college's campus.
  • Dead period: no in-person contact or evaluation anywhere, and no campus visits. In the NCAA's guide table, calls, texts, emails and social messages are still allowed.

Sources: 2026-27 FBS calendar, NCAA Guide.

Who can contact whom, and when

Official rule

NCAA Division I: a school may not provide recruiting materials or send electronic correspondence to a prospect until June 15 at the conclusion of the prospect's sophomore year (Bylaw 13.4.1, the general rule). NCAA Division II: communication and athletically related recruiting materials are allowed at any time. After June 15 immediately before junior year, there are no limits on in-person off-campus contacts. NCAA Division III: no recruiting calendars or reminders. NAIA: no recruiting calendar restrictions of any kind for high school students.

Sources: NCAA Bylaw 13.4.1, Division II guide, NCAA Guide, NAIA.

What this means in real life: before June 15 after your sophomore year, a Division I coach generally can't send you recruiting emails or materials, but you can still send an introduction (see Guide 7). Division II, NAIA and Division III coaches aren't held to the same early date.

The 2026-27 fall calendar for Division I football

Official rule

  • FBS: dead period Aug. 1 to 31 (with a quiet-period exception around home games); evaluation period Sept. 1 to Nov. 29; dead period Nov. 30 to Dec. 31.
  • FCS: dead period Aug. 1 to 31; evaluation period Sept. 1 to Nov. 29; dead period Nov. 30 to Dec. 3; contact period Dec. 4 to 18; quiet period Dec. 18 to 20; dead period Dec. 21 to 31.

Sources: NCAA calendars updated July 30, 2026: FBS, FCS.

Example (made up): It's October of a junior's season. A Division I FBS coach is in an evaluation period, so he can watch the junior's Friday-night game, but he can't pull the player aside after it and talk recruiting. The same coach can still be in touch through allowed messages. If the player's parents wonder why a coach "came but didn't say hello," that's why.

Visits

Official rule

An official visit is paid for by the college. An unofficial visit is paid for by you. In Divisions I and II, visits can only start after the first permissible date for your sport. Before a Division I or II official visit you must register with the Eligibility Center, be on the school's request list, and send your transcript. Each school may extend only one official visit to you (a second may be allowed after a head coaching change). Source: NCAA Guide.

Signing

Official rule

2026-27 football signing dates: Division I early period Dec. 2 to Dec. 4, 2026. Division I and II regular period opens Feb. 3, 2027. The final date is set by each school's scholarship policy. Source: 2026-27 NCAA Signing Dates. More in Guide 10.

Families' checklist

Checklist

  • Put the official calendar links in your bookmarks.
  • Note your player's graduation year and the key dates for that class.
  • Before you contact a coach or plan a visit, check the calendar and the division's rules.
  • When something is unclear, ask the college's compliance office. That's their job.
  • Don't rely on a social media post, a friend or a recruiting service for the rule. Use the official source.

Your next step

Next up: Guide 7: Emailing and Calling Coaches.

Sources checked

Official pages used for this guide, and the date we checked each one. Rules change, so confirm before you act.