College Recruiting Information

Recruiting Education

The recruitment process can be an overwhelming task if you are not prepared. Parents and student-athletes struggle each year with the notion of how to earn a college scholarship. This is why RecruitLook created “Recruit University”. A section dedicated to educating parents and athletes as they venture through the recruiting process.

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Recruiting Tips

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College Recruiting Education

There is more to getting an athletic scholarship than just being a good student-athlete. Recruits need to be knowledgeable on the College Recruiting Education topics we have covered in this section. Knowing the NCAA rules and regulations, how to apply for financial aid, college scholarship stats, and what to do on official visits will help while navigating the college recruiting process. This section is dedicated to educating parents and athletes as they venture through the recruiting process.

NCAA Eligibility Info
Financial Aid Info
NCAA Recruiting Terms
NCAA Recruiting FAQs
Red Shirt / Green Shirt / Gray Shirt
ACT and SAT Info
Visits, Offers, Letters of Intent
College Scholarship Stats
NAIA Recruiting Info
NJCAA Recruiting Info
Transfer Rules

NCAA Eligibility Info

The NCAA Eligibility Center certifies the academic and amateur credentials of all college-bound student-athletes who wish to compete in NCAA Division 1 or Division 2 athletics. Don’t jeopardize your chance to play college athletics, review this section!

Do you know in order to play college sports you need to meet certain requirements set forth by the NCAA? Make sure you are taking the right approach to ensure your eligibility. Every year recruits miss out on opportunities because they fail to meet the academic standards. Don’t let this happen to you!

NCAA Eligibility FAQs

The NCAA Eligibility Center is in place to make sure athletes and parents have an easier time understanding and navigating the eligibility steps that the NCAA requires. We have complied a list of the most common questions asked regarding the NCAA Eligibility Center.

NCAA Division 1 Sliding Scale

The NCAA Division One sliding scale is in place for those athletes that have lower GPA’s, but have higher ACT/SAT scores and vice-versa. This gives high school athletes some wiggle room to become eligible with the NCAA Eligibility Center.

NCAA Division 2 Sliding Scale

The NCAA Division Two sliding scale is in place for those athletes that have lower GPA’s, but have higher ACT/SAT scores and vice-versa. This gives high school athletes some wiggle room to become eligible with the NCAA Eligibility Center.

Division 1 Courses

The NCAA requires ALL potential division one athletes to pass certain core courses while in high school. If you do not, you will not be eligible to play NCAA division one athletics coming out of high school. It is very important to know what core courses are required by the NCAA.

Division 2 Courses

The NCAA requires ALL potential division two athletes to pass certain core courses while in high school. If you do not, you will not be eligible to play NCAA division two athletics coming out of high school. It is very important to know what core courses are required by the NCAA.

Division 3 Courses

The NCAA does not have as many rules in place for Division 3 institutions. This helps division three programs recruit more easily without as many restrictions. Make sure you know what the division three requirements are.

Financial Aid Info

Understanding College Financial Aid

Not every high school athlete will receive an athletic scholarship. Having a financial backup plan for college is a great idea. There are plenty of other options available to help pay for your education. Financial aid is intended to make up the difference between what your family can afford to pay and what college costs. The majority of full-time students currently enrolled in college receive some type of financial aid to help pay college costs.

Federal Student Aid

Federal Student Aid plays a central and essential role in supporting post-secondary education by providing money for college to eligible students and families.

Financial Aid Borrowing Tips

Millions of high school students borrow money every year to help pay for college, but most borrow without reading these very important tips! Make sure you know what you are signing! These tips will prepare you with the process of applying for and borrowing money through financial aid.

What is FAFSA?

FAFSA is the application used by nearly all colleges and universities to determine eligibility for federal, state, and college-sponsored financial aid, including grants, educational loans, and work-study programs. This section covers how to start the FAFSA process and the documents you’ll need.

Estimated Family Contribution

All students are expected to contribute toward the cost of their college education. How much you and your family will be expected to contribute depends on your financial situation—and is what is referred to as your Expected Family Contribution or EFC.

College Loan Info

The cost of college rises each year a few percentages, which means most families need to take loans out to help pay for college. Nearly every student is eligible for some sort of financial aid, including loans. This section examines the different type of college loans.

NCAA Recruiting Terms

The NCAA has rules in place that limit a college recruiters exposure to high school athletes. Knowing what these terms mean will help athletes understand the recruiting process.

Breaking Down the NCAA Recruiting Terms

As you start getting information from colleges you will need to know why coaches can and cannot do certain things. The NCAA has rules in place that limit a college recruiter’s exposure to high school athletes. Knowing what the NCAA recruiting terms mean will help you understand recruiting process.

Contact

A contact is classified as a face-to-face encounter between a college coach and the student athlete (or their legal guardians or relatives) where more than a greeting occurs. Anything beyond a hello is considered a contact. Another form of contact occurs when a college coach has any contact with you or your legal guardians at your high school, or any other location where you are competing or practicing.

Contact Period

College coaches are allowed to have in-person contact with you or your legal guardians. This period means coaches can watch you compete anywhere, and the coach can write and make telephone calls.

Dead Period

The college coach cannot make in-person contact with you or your legal guardians. This prevents the coach from making any evaluations of you whatsoever. However, the coach can make telephone calls to you or your legal guardians.

Evaluation

This is the process where a coach watches you compete in a game or practice, and makes a note on your athletic abilities.

Evaluation Period

It is permissible for the college coach to evaluate your playing abilities at your high school or any other place where you are competing. During this period the coach cannot have off-campus in-person contact with you or your legal guardians. The coach can still make telephone calls to you or your legal guardians, and you are allowed to make campus visits during this period.

Quiet Period

During this time a college coach cannot watch you compete at any location. It is allowed for the college coach to make in-person contact with you or your legal guardians if it occurs on the coach’s campus. The coach can still make telephone calls to you or your legal guardians, and you can make visits to college campuses during this time.

Telephone Call

An electronically transmitted voice exchange is considered a phone call. That includes videoconferencing and videophones. Emails and faxes are not considered a phone call.

Official Visit

Any visit to a college that is paid for by that university. You and/or your legal guardians will have your transportation to and from the college paid for. Also paid for by the college will be your room, meals (three per day), and entertainment expenses. Generally, you will receive three free passes to that college’s home game the weekend you are in town.

Unofficial Visit

Anytime you or your legal guardians visit a college campus that is funded by you. You can take as many unofficial visits as you would like. During dead periods you cannot speak to any of the coaches while visiting the campus. Three free tickets to a home game is the only thing a coach can give you during an unofficial visit.

NCAA Recruiting FAQs

Some of the more frequently asked NCAA recruiting questions by parents and student-athletes about the recruiting process.

We have been helping athletes since 2008 get college scholarships. We have come across a lot of great questions, and in this section, we highlight some of the more common questions asked by families.

Do I have to register with the NCAA Eligibility Center?

Yes. All athletes who want to play Division I or Division II athletics are required to register with the eligibility center. If you do not then you cannot participate in athletics as a freshman.

When do I need to register with the NCAA Eligibility Center?

At the beginning of your junior year of high school. This will allow college coaches to have the most up-to-date information about you. You need to have your high school send your transcripts to the eligibility center after you have completed your junior year (or six semesters). You will need to follow the steps at the NCAA Clearinghouse to become eligible. Use RecruitLook’s clearinghouse feature to let coaches know of your eligibility status.

What is involved with the registration process?

There are a series of steps to follow when completing the registration. The eligibility center does an excellent job walking you through the process. Some information you will need to have is:

Social Security Number
Date of birth
Sports you plan on participating in
Your high school address
High school code number (get your code number from your counselor)
High School transcripts and SAT & ACT scores

Your high school has to be the one to send your transcripts. A very important rule change is that all SAT and ACT test scores must be reported directly from the testing agency. When you register for the SAT or ACT put the code of “9999″ to ensure your test scores get sent to the eligibility center. ACT and SAT scores are not accepted by the eligibility center if sent on your high school transcripts.

Does it cost to register with the NCAA Eligibility Center?

There is a processing fee of $50 ($75 for international students). The eligibility center only accepts debit card, credit card, or e-check. There is a possibility for a waiver in which you don’t have to pay the processing fee. In order to be eligible to waive the registration fee, you must have been granted a waiver for the ACT or SAT fee. If you weren’t then you can’t apply to have your eligibility registration fee waived.

What are core courses?

Core courses are a designated set of high school classes that must be completed to become eligible. They include the following subjects: English, Mathematics, Natural/Physical Science, Social Science, Foreign Language, non-doctrinal Religion or Philosophy. These courses have to meet your high schools standard academic level and have to be completed no later than your high school graduation date. You can get a list of courses from your high school counselor or at the NCAA Eligibility Center.

Can I use a core course taken after I graduated?

If you are enrolled in the NCAA Division 1 you can use only those courses completed in grades 9 through 12. An exception to the rule is when a student-athlete graduates on time (in eight semesters), they can use one core course completed in the summer or academic year after graduation. The course cannot be completed later than that academic year following the student-athlete’s graduation date. The course can be completed at a location other than your high school.

If you are enrolling in Division II you can use any courses that you complete prior to the start of your college career.

How is my GPA figured to determine my eligibility status?

An “A” in a semester course: 4 x .5 = 2 quality points and .5 credits earned
A “B” in a year course: 3 x 1 = 3 quality point and 1 credit earned
A “C” in a trimester course: 2 x .33 = .66 quality points and .33 credits earned
A “B” in a semester course: 3 x .5 = 1.5 quality points and .5 credits earned

The next step is to calculate your grade point average. Add up your quality points and divide them by the number of credits you have earned. For this example it would be:

7.16 quality points (.5+3+.66+1.5) divided by 2.33 credits earn (.5+1+.33+.5) for a GPA of 3.07

What are the core courses that I need to take to become eligible for Division I and Division II?

You can find that information on this page, under “NCAA Eligibility Info”.

What is a sliding scale?

It is a scale that allows you to have lower test scores but a higher GPA and vice versa to qualify for your academic eligibility. If your GPA is very high then your ACT and SAT test scores can be relatively low and you can still be eligible. You need to make sure you fall within this scale provided by the NCAA. You can find the sliding scale information on this page under “NCAA Eligibility Info”.

What is the sum score that is mentioned when determining my ACT or SAT scores?

You are allowed to take both tests more than once. The NCAA will let you take the best scores from each test and combine them to make the best possible sum of scores. For example: if you took the SAT in January and got 420 Math and 380 Verbal that gives you a total of 800. The next time you take the test in May you get a 350 Math and a 490 Verbal than your score is 840. However, with the sum score formula, you can combine the best scores from both tests to get a 420 Math and a 490 Verbal for a sum score of 910.

Why is there no talk about Division III and the eligibility center?

NCAA Division III does not use the Eligibility Center. Any questions on academic requirements need to be directed to that college institution.

Red Shirt / Green Shirt / Gray Shirt

You hear the phrases tossed around all the time, but what do they actually mean? Recruits should know what red shirting, green shirting, and gray shirting is before they make their way to a college campus.

Red Shirting

A red shirt athlete does not compete in any competition for a full academic year, which will maintain their four seasons of college eligibility.

If a college athlete plays in even just a minute of one game or match against another team, they can no longer be red-shirted.

Green Shirting

The term is used for Fall sport athletes (primarily in football) who graduate from high school a semester early. The reason is to enroll in college and participate in spring practice in their sport so that they can learn the plays, train with their team, and start attending classes before their initial Fall season.

Gray Shirting

This term is used to designate a high school athlete who is delaying their initial enrollment in a college. The athlete, usually an NCAA Division I football athlete, doesn’t enroll in college in the Fall immediately after high school graduation, but will delay enrollment until the Spring semester. The advantage in gray shirting is giving the player an additional spring semester to use during their eligibility. So, rather than entering school during the semester in which competition will begin, you enter the school in a spring semester giving you more preparation time before your first semester of competitive play.

What does the grey shirt mean to the individual athlete? Typically, the athlete goes to junior college where they can begin taking college courses. The athlete can not take 12 credits or more. Taking 12 credits or more of college courses will essentially start that athlete’s “eligibility clock”. Athletes are also responsible for paying for the classes they are taking at the junior college.

ACT and SAT Info

Any high school athlete looking to play college sports must take the ACT and/or SAT. Receiving high test scores will increase a recruit’s chances of an athletic and/or academic scholarship.

Having good grades can significantly increase your chances of a college scholarship. College coaches are looking for players that are smart and won’t be an issue to qualify academically. Make sure you know how important the ACT and SAT are in the college recruiting process.

What Athletes Need to Know About the SAT

The SAT is designed to assess your academic readiness for college.

Go to www.collegeboard.com and register to take the SAT.

– Colleges require that you take the SAT Reasoning Test. You may also be interested in the
SAT Subject Test as they offer you additional opportunity to show college what you know and what you know you can do.
– Many colleges use the SAT Subject Tests for admission, for course placement, and to advise students about course selection. Some colleges specify the SAT Subject Tests that they require for admission or placement; other allow applicants to choose which tests to take.
– The SAT test on reading (reading passages and sentence completions), writing (short essay and multiple-choice questions on identifying errors and improving grammar and usage) and math (questions on arithmetic operations, algebra, geometry, statistics and probability) that you learn in school and that are critical for success in college and beyond. It gives both you and colleges a sense of how you’ll be able to apply the thinking, writing and study skills required for college course work.
– The SAT also provides the opportunity for you to connect to scholarship opportunities, place out of certain college courses and learn more about your academic strengths.
– The SAT tests are offered several times a year. Most students take the SAT for the first time during the spring of their junior year and a second time during the fall of their senior year.
– It is a good idea to practice before taking your SAT. The College Board website has free practice tests as well as study guides available to purchase. For more help visit: CollegeBoard.org/Practice
– IMPORTANT: On the day of the SAT you will have to have an admission ticket to write your SAT. Print this out from the College Board website when you register. Bring it to the testing center where you will be taking your SAT.
– IMPORTANT: Your SAT scores have to be sent to the NCAA Eligibility Center. Use code 9999 when filling out your form so they get sent there.

What Athletes Need to Know About the ACT

The ACT test assesses high school students’ general educational development and their ability to complete college-level work.

Go to www.actstudent.org and register to take the ACT.

– The multiple-choice tests cover four skill areas: English, mathematics, reading, and science.
– The Writing Test, which is optional, measures skill in planning and writing a short essay.
– The ACT includes 215 multiple-choice questions and takes approximately 3 hours and 30 minutes to complete, including a short break (or just over four hours if you are taking the ACT Plus Writing).
– The main four tests are scored individually on a scale of 1-36, and a composite score is provided which is the whole number average of the four scores.
– The ACT is administered on six test dates within the United States each year, and you cannot take the ACT more than 12 times.
– Basic registration to take the ACT cost $36.50
– For practice visit the ACT Test Prep Center: Click Here
– IMPORTANT: Your ACT scores have to be sent to the NCAA Eligibility Center. Use code 9999 when filling out your form so they get sent there.
– IMPORTANT: After registering, print your admission ticket. You will need your admission ticket, and your Personal ID to be allowed to take the test.

Visits, Offers, Letters of Intent

Official & Unofficial Visits, Verbal Offers, Walk-ons, National Letter of Intent

As a high school student-athlete looking for a college scholarship you must be aware of Official and Unofficial Visits to college campuses, as well as what it means to walk-on, and what is entailed with a National Letter of Intent. It is important as you become a college prospect that you take visits to see what each college has to offer. Things you can check out on your visit are the athletic facilities, the layout of the campus, the atmosphere of the school on game day, and meeting the coaching staff. It is important as you become a college prospect that you fully understand how to use official and unofficial visits to your benefit. The media has really taken to offers and recruits signing national letters of intent, so we examine what those mean in the recruiting process.

National Letter of Intents

By signing a National Letter of Intent, a prospective student-athlete agrees to attend the designated college or university. The National Letter of Intent has many advantages to both prospective student-athletes and participating educational institutions. Find out what they are.

Verbal Offers

A verbal offer is a commitment to a school before the student-athlete signs a National Letter of Intent. The commitment is NOT binding on either the high school athlete or the college. So what does that mean?

College Walk-On

Walking-on to play college sports is very common. Athletes are finding the opportunity to walk-on a better option than playing at a school that isn’t a good fit. What does it mean to be a college walk-on?

Official Visits

If you are taking official visits to colleges, you are high on a college’s recruiting board. This is a great sign if you are a recruit. What are official visits, and what should you expect on your visit?

Unofficial Visits

Unofficial visits are a great opportunity to learn more about schools you are wanting to possibly attend. Recruits should take unofficial visits throughout high school. How can recruits use an unofficial visit to their recruiting advantage?

College Scholarship Stats

Sport-by-Sport Scholarship Stats

It’s important for high school athletes to know how many athletic scholarships are available for their sport. Not every athlete is going to play division one athletics; therefore, it is important to know what college levels offer a scholarship opportunity.

What are the odds of you playing College or Pro Sports?

Most high school athletes have the goal of playing sports in college, but what are the odds of playing college sports? There are millions of high school athletes across the country seeking college scholarships, but the truth is, there just aren’t that many spots available in college. It gets even more limited when trying to go from college to professional.

Football Scholarship Stats

Number of schools offering football scholarships

NCAA FBS = 120
NCAA FCS = 118
NCAA Division III = 239 (however D3 schools don’t offer athletic scholarships)
NAIA = 91
Junior College = 69

Number of available football scholarships (per school) at each level

NCAA FBS = 85
NCAA FCS = 63
NCAA Division III = 0
NAIA = 24
Junior College = 85

Men’s Basketball Scholarship Stats

Number of schools offering basketball scholarships

NCAA Division I = 346
NCAA Division II = 289
NCAA Division III = 416 (however D3 schools don’t offer athletic scholarships)
NAIA Division I = 112
NAIA Division II = 148
Junior College = 434

Number of available basketball scholarships (per school) at each level

NCAA Division I = 13
NCAA Division II = 10
NCAA Division III = 0
NAIA Division I = 11
NAIA Division II = 6
Junior College = 15

Women’s Basketball Scholarship Stats

Number of schools offering women’s basketball scholarships

NCAA Division I = 344
NCAA Division II = 290
NCAA Division III = 439 (however D3 schools don’t offer athletic scholarships)
NAIA Division I = 111
NAIA Division II = 148
Junior College = 397

Number of available women’s basketball scholarships (per school) at each level

NCAA Division I = 15
NCAA Division II = 10
NCAA Division III = 0
NAIA Division I = 11
NAIA Division II = 6
Junior College = 15

Baseball Scholarship Stats

Number of schools offering baseball scholarships

NCAA Division I = 298
NCAA Division II = 259
NCAA Division III = 374 (however D3 schools don’t offer athletic scholarships)
NAIA = 212
Junior College = 511

Number of available baseball scholarships (per school) at each level

NCAA Division I = 11.7
NCAA Division II = 9
NCAA Division III = 0
NAIA = 12
Junior College = 24

Cross Country Scholarship Stats

Number of schools offering cross country scholarships

NCAA Division I = TBD
NCAA Division II = TBD
NCAA Division III = TBD (however D3 schools don’t offer athletic scholarships)
NAIA = TBD
Junior College = TBD

Number of available cross country scholarships (per school) at each level

NCAA Division I = TBD
NCAA Division II = TBD
NCAA Division III = TBD
NAIA = TBD
Junior College = TBD

Field Hockey Scholarship Stats

Number of schools offering field hockey scholarships

NCAA Division I = 79
NCAA Division II = 26
NCAA Division III = 158 (however D3 schools don’t offer athletic scholarships)

Number of available field hockey scholarships (per school) at each level

NCAA Division I = 12
NCAA Division II = 6.3
NCAA Division III = 0

Golf Scholarship Stats

Number of schools offering Men’s golf scholarships

NCAA Division I = 300
NCAA Division II = 231
NCAA Division III = 293 (however D3 schools don’t offer athletic scholarships)
NAIA = 170
Junior College = 193

Number of schools offering Women’s golf scholarships

NCAA Division I = 263
NCAA Division II = 181
NCAA Division III = 184 (however D3 schools don’t offer athletic scholarships)
NAIA = 146
Junior College = 54

Number of available Men’s golf scholarships (per school) at each level

NCAA Division I = 4.5
NCAA Division II = 3.6
NCAA Division III = 0
NAIA = 5
Junior College = 8 (varies per school)

Golf is an equivalency sport for NCAA scholarship purposes, so partial scholarships can be awarded to meet the limit per school. For example, an NCAA Division I school can award 9 male golfers each a 1/2 scholarship and still meet the limit of 4.5 per school.

Number of available Women’s golf scholarships (per school) at each level

NCAA Division I = 6
NCAA Division II = 5.4
NCAA Division III = 0
NAIA = 5
Junior College = 8 (varies per school)

Golf is an equivalency sport for NCAA scholarship purposes, so partial scholarships can be awarded to meet the limit per school. For example, an NCAA Division I school can award 12 female golfers each a 1/2 scholarship and still meet the limit of 6 per school.

Men's Lacrosse Scholarship Stats

Number of schools offering men’s lacrosse scholarships

NCAA Division I = 60
NCAA Division II = 38
NCAA Division III = 166 (however D3 schools don’t offer athletic scholarships)
Junior College = 44

Number of available men’s lacrosse scholarships (per school) at each level

NCAA Division I = 12.6
NCAA Division II = 10.8
NCAA Division III = 0 (however D3 schools don’t offer athletic scholarships)
Junior College = 20 (varies per school)

Women's Lacrosse Scholarship Stats

Number of schools offering women’s lacrosse scholarships

NCAA Division I = 91
NCAA Division II = 54
NCAA Division III = 202 (however D3 schools don’t offer athletic scholarships)
Junior College = 17

Number of available women’s lacrosse scholarships (per school) at each level

NCAA Division I = 12
NCAA Division II = 9.9
NCAA Division III = 0 (however D3 schools don’t offer athletic scholarships)
Junior College = 20 (varies per school)

Men's Ice Hockey Scholarship Stats

Number of schools offering men’s ice hockey scholarships

NCAA Division I = 58
NCAA Division II = 6
NCAA Division III = 72 (however D3 schools don’t offer athletic scholarships)
NJCAA = 9
ACHA = 346

Number of available men’s ice hockey scholarships (per school) at each level

NCAA Division I = 18
NCAA Division II = 13.5
NCAA Division III = 0 (however D3 schools don’t offer athletic scholarships)
NJCAA = 16

Women's Ice Hockey Scholarship Stats

Number of schools offering women’s ice hockey scholarships

NCAA Division I = 35
NCAA Division II = 2
NCAA Division III = 47 (however D3 schools don’t offer athletic scholarships)
ACHA = 46

Number of available women’s ice hockey scholarships (per school) at each level

NCAA Division I = 18
NCAA Division II = 18
NCAA Division III = 0 (however D3 schools don’t offer athletic scholarships)

Soccer Scholarship Stats

Number of schools offering soccer scholarships

Men’s Soccer:

NCAA Division I = 204
NCAA Division II = 181
NCAA Division III = 407 (however D3 schools don’t offer athletic scholarships)
NAIA = 218
Junior College = 221

Women’s Soccer:

NCAA Division I = 322
NCAA Division II = 228
NCAA Division III = 428 (however D3 schools don’t offer athletic scholarships)
NAIA = 219
Junior College = 186

Number of available soccer scholarships (per school) at each level

Men’s Soccer:

NCAA Division I = 9.9
NCAA Division II = 9
NCAA Division III = 0 (however D3 schools don’t offer athletic scholarships)
NAIA = 12
Junior College = 18

Women’s Soccer:

NCAA Division I = 14
NCAA Division II = 9.9
NCAA Division III = 0 (however D3 schools don’t offer athletic scholarships)
NAIA = 12
Junior College = 18

Softball Scholarship Stats

Number of schools offering softball scholarships

NCAA Division I = 289
NCAA Division II = 268
NCAA Division III = 411 (however D3 schools don’t offer athletic scholarships)
NAIA = 210
Junior College = 361

Number of available softball scholarships (per school) at each level

NCAA Division I = 12
NCAA Division II = 7.2
NCAA Division III = 0
NAIA = 10
Junior College = 24 (varies per school)

Swimming Scholarship Stats

Number of schools offering swimming scholarships

Men’s Swimming:

NCAA Division I = 143
NCAA Division II = 58
NCAA Division III = 200 (however D3 schools don’t offer athletic scholarships)
NAIA = 22
Junior College = 20

Women’s Swimming:

NCAA Division I = 200
NCAA Division II = 77
NCAA Division III = 242 (however D3 schools don’t offer athletic scholarships)
NAIA = 31
Junior College = 21

Number of available swimming scholarships (per school) at each level

Men’s Swimming:

NCAA Division I = 9.9
NCAA Division II = 8.1
NCAA Division III = 0
NAIA = 8
Junior College = 15 (varies per school)

Women’s Swimming:

NCAA Division I = 14
NCAA Division II = 8.1
NCAA Division III = 0
NAIA = 8
Junior College = 15 (varies per school)

Tennis Scholarship Stats

Number of schools offering tennis scholarships

NCAA Division I = 264
NCAA Division II = 167
NCAA Division III = 328 (however D3 schools don’t offer athletic scholarships)
NAIA = 102
Junior College = 77

Number of available tennis scholarships (per school) at each level

NCAA Division I = 4.5
NCAA Division II = 4.5
NCAA Division III = 0 (however D3 schools don’t offer athletic scholarships)
NAIA = 5
Junior College = 0

Track and Field Scholarship Stats

Number of schools offering track and field scholarships

Men’s Track & Field:

NCAA Division I = 279
NCAA Division II = 164
NCAA Division III = 271 (however D3 schools don’t offer athletic scholarships)
NAIA = 157
Junior College = 78

Women’s Track & Field:

NCAA Division I = 319
NCAA Division II = 175
NCAA Division III = 279 (however D3 schools don’t offer athletic scholarships)
NAIA = 162
Junior College = 82

Number of available track & field scholarships (per school) at each level

Men’s Track & Field:

NCAA Division I = 12.6
NCAA Division II = 12.6
NCAA Division III = 0 (however D3 schools don’t offer athletic scholarships)
NAIA = 12
Junior College = 20

Women’s Track & Field:

NCAA Division I = 18
NCAA Division II = 12.6
NCAA Division III = 0 (however D3 schools don’t offer athletic scholarships)
NAIA = 12
Junior College = 20

Volleyball Scholarship Stats

Number of schools offering volleyball scholarships

NCAA Division I = 329
NCAA Division II = 277
NCAA Division III = 430(however D3 schools don’t offer athletic scholarships)
NAIA = 240
Junior College = 303

Number of available volleyball scholarships (per school) at each level

NCAA Division I = 12
NCAA Division II = 8
NCAA Division III = 0
NAIA = 8
Junior College = 14 (varies per school)

Water Polo Scholarship Stats

Number of schools offering water polo scholarships

Men’s Water Polo:

NCAA Division I = 21
NCAA Division II = 9
NCAA Division III = 16 (however D3 schools don’t offer athletic scholarships)

Women’s Water Polo:

NCAA Division I = 31
NCAA Division II = 10
NCAA Division III = 20 (however D3 schools don’t offer athletic scholarships)

Number of available water polo scholarships (per school) at each level

Men’s Water Polo:

NCAA Division I = 4.5
NCAA Division II = 4.5
NCAA Division III = 0 (however D3 schools don’t offer athletic scholarships)

Women’s Water Polo:

NCAA Division I = 8
NCAA Division II = 8
NCAA Division III = 0 (however D3 schools don’t offer athletic scholarships)

Wrestling Scholarship Stats

Number of schools offering wrestling scholarships

NCAA Division I = 84
NCAA Division II = 47
NCAA Division III = 89 (however D3 schools don’t offer athletic scholarships)
NAIA = 38
Junior College = 44

Number of available wrestling scholarships (per school) at each level

NCAA Division I = 9.9
NCAA Division II = 9
NCAA Division III = 0 (however D3 schools don’t offer athletic scholarships)
NAIA = 8
Junior College = 16 (varies per school)

NAIA Recruiting Info

NAIA Recruiting Information

The NAIA is a great association for student-athletes looking to compete at a high level. The NAIA offers championships in 13 different men’s and women’s sports, and awards more than $450 million dollars in financial aid each year. Find out more information about what the NAIA has to offer.

The NAIA recruiting information is less cumbersome, with few restrictions on the contact between a student-athlete and a college coach. This levels the playing field for NAIA institutions to compete against NCAA schools.

The NAIA has around 300 colleges and universities. The appeal that the NAIA has to offer is their smaller class sizes and tight-knit campus communities, the ability to transfer and not lose any eligibility, there are fewer recruiting rules and restrictions, and you have the opportunity to compete for championships. Not everyone has the ability or academics to play NCAA sports. The NAIA is a terrific chance for any student-athlete looking to earn a scholarship.

Each NAIA institution will have its own academic requirements that you must meet, and the NAIA association has an overview of recruiting rules and requirements that student-athletes must meet.

Student-athletes must meet 2 of the 3 requirements below in order to be eligible for the NAIA...

Achieve a minimum of 18 on the ACT or 860 on the SAT.
Achieve a minimum overall high school GPA of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale.
Graduate in the top half of your graduating class.

If you are looking to play college athletics at the NAIA level, you must follow these steps.

Register with the NAIA Eligibility Center and pay the $70 fee ($120 for international students).
Submit your info: contact info, address, high school attended, sport(s) played.
Insert the code: 9876 when taking the ACT and/or SAT on the lists of places test scores should be sent.
Have your guidance counselor send your official transcripts to the NAIA Eligibility Center (address below)

NAIA Eligibility Center – Transcripts
P.O. Box 15340
Kansas City, MO 64106

The NAIA and NCAA are two separate associations, with different rules and eligibility process. Your eligibility with the NCAA is separate from your eligibility with the NAIA.

Quick Facts About The NAIA

The NAIA sponsors 13 sports and determines 23 national championships.
60,000 student athletes compete at NAIA member schools.
There are nearly 300 NAIA colleges and universities.
NAIA schools award more than $500 million in financial aid each year.

Does The NAIA have national letters of intent?

As an association, the NAIA does not have a letter of intent program in which students sign a binding agreement to participate in athletics at a particular institution. Student-athletes may sign letters of intent with an individual NAIA school, however, they aren’t obligated to attend that institution. That said, some NAIA conferences require their member schools to recognize letters of intent that are signed with other institutions within the conference. Please check with your prospective school to see if any conference programs apply.

What are the amount of scholarships awarded at the NAIA level?

Each sport has scholarship limits set by the NAIA, but those scholarships can be dispensed as partial awards to spread financial aid around among athletes. Each sport has an overall limit on the amount of financial aid it can award as full or partial.

For example, the overall limit in Track & Field is 12. Track & Field scholarships can be awarded to any number of students (for example, 2 full scholarship, 9 half awards and 24 quarter awards) as long as the combined total does not exceed 12.

Limits on the total amount of aid that can be given to varsity athletes in each sport...

Baseball = 12 scholarships
Golf = 5 scholarships
Tennis = 5 scholarships
Basketball (Division I) = 11 scholarships
Basketball (Division II) = 6 scholarships
Softball = 10 scholarships
Wrestling = 8 scholarships
Soccer = 12 scholarships
Track & Field = 12 scholarships
Cross Country = 5 scholarships
Swimming & Diving = 8 scholarships
Volleyball = 8 scholarships
Football = 24 scholarships

NJCAA Recruiting Info

Junior College Recruiting Information

The NJCAA route (often known as JUCO) is a great opportunity for those athletes that didn’t qualify academically or looking to improve their skill set. There are over 525 NJCAA institutions with nearly 60,000 student-athletes. Learn more about the recruiting of a JUCO athlete.

National Junior College Athletic Association

Going the junior college route gives you the opportunity to improve your athletic skills while earning credits toward a degree. You can transfer after two years, and still, have two years of playing eligibility. Many coaches are now looking for junior college prospects to come in and compete right away.

The NJCAA serves as the national governing body for two-year college athletics in the United States and is the nation’s second-largest national intercollegiate sports organization (second to the NCAA). Each year nearly 60,000 student-athletes from 525 member colleges compete in 28 different sports.

What are the eligibility requirements for junior college?

● Every student must be a high school graduate with an academic diploma, general education diploma or a State Department of Education approved high school equivalency test.
● Each institution is different when it comes to academic eligibility requirements. It is recommended that each potential student-athlete discuss their athletic eligibility with the specific college.

What are the junior college recruiting rules?

● No institution shall permit an athlete to be solicited to attend by the promise of a gift or inducement other than an athletic scholarship.
● An institution may pay for one visit to its campus by direct route, for a stay not to exceed two days and two nights. The paid visit must be limited to the campus and local community where the college is located.
● A student-athlete must have completed his/her junior year in high school in order to receive an official recruiting visit by a member NJCAA college.
● While recruiting a potential athlete on campus, a college representative may purchase meals for the athlete. The value of the meals may not exceed the amount provided to a college employee while traveling on college business.

Does the NJCAA have National Letter of Intents?

The NJCAA Letter of Intent is used to commit an individual to a specific institution for a period of one academic year. The form is only valid for NJCAA member colleges and has no jurisdiction over NCAA or NAIA colleges. The student may not, however, sign an NJCAA Letter of Intent with two NJCAA colleges. If a student does sign with two NJCAA colleges, that student will become immediately ineligible to compete in NJCAA competition for the next academic year in any sport.

What type of scholarship funds can NJCAA schools offer?

Each institution belonging to the NJCAA can choose to compete on the Division I, II or III level in designated sports.

● Division I colleges may offer full athletic scholarships
● Division II colleges are limited to awarding tuition, fees, books and up to $250 in course required supplies
● Division III institutions may provide no athletically related financial assistance.

What sports are offered by the NJCAA?

The NJCAA provides opportunities for participation, including National Championships, for student-athletes in the following sports:

● Fall Baseball – Men’s
● Spring Baseball – Men’s
● Basketball – Men/Women
● Bowling – Men/Women
● Cross Country – Men/Women
● Football – Men’s
● Fall Golf – Men/Women
● Spring Golf – Men/Women
● Half Marathon – Men/Women
● Ice Hockey – Men’s
● Indoor Track and Field – Men/Women
● Outdoor Track and Field – Men/Women
● Spring Lacrosse – Men/Women
● Fall Lacrosse – Men/Women
● Fall Softball – Women’s
● Spring Softball – Women’s
● Fall Soccer – Men/Women
● Spring Soccer – Men/Women
● Swimming & Diving – Men/Women
● Fall Tennis – Men/Women
● Spring Tennis – Men/Women
● Fall Volleyball – Women’s
● Spring Volleyball – Women’s
● Wrestling – Men’s

Transfer Rules

NCAA Transfer Rules

The NCAA transfer rules are confusing to understand. We’ll try to simply for athletes and parents what you need to know when transferring. This guide will determine what kind of transfer you are, and the path that you need to take.

How to Make Sure You Are a Transfer Athlete

There are a number of conditions, some more common than others, which make you a transfer.

Common Ways That an Athlete Can Trigger Transfer Status

To be a transfer, you meet one of the conditions in these lists at one school, and then enroll at another school. Here are the common ways to trigger transfer status: (from most common to least common)

You were officially enrolled full-time for a regular term (fall or spring semester, fall, winter, or spring quarter) and present at the school on the first day of classes for that term (this is most common)
You reported for a regular squad practice prior to the start of classes (this is second most common)
You participated in practice or competed even if you were not enrolled full-time (this is third most common)

Less Common Ways That an Athlete Might Trigger Transfer Status

You attended a class while enrolled full-time, even if you were only provisionally admitted and later denied admission
You attend a night school enrolled full-time if the night school has the same terms as the institution’s day school and considers you to be a regular full-time student
You received financial aid from the school to attend summer school prior to starting classes (unless you are denied admissions).

How to Know What Type of Transfer You Are

Once you are considered a transfer student, you must know what type of transfer student you are in order to make sure you comply with the correct set of requirements.

2-4 Transfers (Junior College or Community College Transfer)

A 2-4 transfer is a transfer from a two-year college (junior or community college) to a four-year college. There are two different types of 2-4 transfers with different requirements to play right away.

A 2-4 qualifier transfer is a transfer from a two-year college who has been certified by the NCAA Eligibility Center as a final academic qualifier. If an athlete has not been certified yet as a qualifier, he or she may go through the Eligibility Center process after starting at the two-year college. However, an athlete may not use any course work or standardized tests (SAT/ACT) taken after starting college to become a qualifier.

Non-Qualifiers 2-4 Transfers

A 2-4 non-qualifier transfer is a transfer from a two-year college who has not been certified by the NCAA Eligibility Center as a final academic qualifier. This includes athletes who received final certification in Divisions One and Two, athletes who received final certification in Division Two, and athletes who have not received any final certification from the Eligibility Center.

4-4 Transfers (Four Year Transfer)

A 4-4 transfer is a transfer from one four-year college to another four-year college. This includes transfers from one NCAA school to another, transfers from NAIA schools to NCAA schools (or vice versa) and transfers from colleges that do not offer athletics (like international colleges) to NCAA or NAIA schools.

4-2-4 Transfers

A 4-2-4 transfer is a transfer from a four-year college to a two-year college then to another four-year college. In Division One, 4-2-4 transfers have an entirely separate set of transfer rules. In Division Two, the 4-2-4 transfer rules are mixed up with the 2-4 transfer rules and are most similar to the rules that apply to non-qualifiers.

This guide is designed to explain the NCAA transfer rules for college student-athletes. This will help breakdown the process athletes will go through when determining their eligibility should they decide to transfer. RecruitLook has outlined the information to assist you in determining what kind of transfer you are and what you’ll need to do.

NCAA Four Year Transfer Rules

Transferring from one 4-year school to another 4-year school, also known as 4-4 transfer, is one of the more complex situations for an athlete when looking to transfer. There has been a significant jump in athletes transferring schools recently, and RecruitLook Scouts think a lot has to do with the lack of research athletes do when making a decision on college. Too many athletes focus in on going to a school based on the name on the jersey and not what is the best fit for the athlete.

Here is information to help athletes know what their rights are, and to make sure they are eligible once the transfer is complete.

Junior College Transfer Rules

Junior college transfer rules, also known as 2-4 transfers, are not as abstruse as the NCAA 4-year transfer rules. However, it is critical you get the athletic departments from both the school you are transferring from and to involved early.

The information below better explains the transfer process based on your transfer status as a qualifier or non-qualifier. You cannot transfer on your own, you will need to enlist the help of your athletic department.

NCAA Transfer Exceptions

The NCAA transfer process is full of rules and regulations that can determine when and where athletes are eligible to transfer. It gets even murkier when scholarship monies start to get discussed. Below are some exceptions and petitions you can file to receive a more favorable outcome.

College Athlete Transfers Known As 4-2-4

Transferring from one 4-year school to JUCO and back to another 4-year school is known as a 4-2-4 transfer. This is common in college athletics nowadays. Several factors might be the cause as to why athletes transfer, but the goal of the transfer is ultimately to get a fresh start.

Once you get to college as a recruited athlete, college coaches in most cases stop tracking you; therefore, going the Junior College route is a great option to build up your recruiting ranking again. If you were at a 4-year school and didn’t see much action — college coaches don’t want to go back and recruit you based on your highlight resume and video. They’ll want to see you compete at the college level and JUCO is that option.

Here is information to help athletes know what their rights are, and to make sure they are eligible once the transfer is complete.

NCAA Transfer Exceptions and Waivers

One-Time Transfer Exception

The one-time transfer exception is the most commonly used exception for transfers from one four-year college to another, especially if the transfer involves two colleges in NCAA Division I or II.

● If transferring to a Division I school, the athlete must play a sport other than football, men’s or women’s basketball, or baseball. The exception is that an athlete can transfer to a Football Championship Subdivision (FCS or I-AA) school and use this exception provided he or she has at least two seasons of competition remaining. In Division II, any sport may use the one-time transfer exception.
● The athlete must not have previously transferred from another four-year school.
● At the time of the transfer, the athlete would have been academically eligible at the previous school; and
● If transferring from an NCAA or NAIA school, the athlete’s previous school states in writing that they have no objection to the athlete using the one-time transfer exception.

While the one-time transfer exception is the most commonly used, it is technically the last resort. If a student-athlete can find another transfer exception to use, it is generally better since they have fewer requirements and sometimes make the transfer not count if the student-athlete needs to transfer again.

Graduate Exception

The graduate exception is a version of the one-time transfer exception. It is for student-athletes who cannot use the normal one-time transfer exception because they play one of the sports that are not permitted to use the exception.

● The student-athlete must have graduated with at least a bachelor’s degree;
● The student-athlete meets the other requirements of the one-time transfer exception;
● The student-athlete must have at least one season of competition left; and
● The student-athlete’s previous school did not renew his or her athletic scholarship or offer an athletic scholarship for the following academic year.

The requirement for scholarship cancellation or renewal is generally not an issue. The scholarship does not need to be canceled before the transfer or be the reason for the transfer. Because the one-time transfer exception requires you to get a release, what will happen with your scholarship is generally just an administrative detail.

Graduate Transfer Waiver

The graduate transfer waiver is now typically used by athletes who have previously transferred once before and so cannot use the one-time transfer exception (even as a graduate student).

A letter from the previous school saying it does not object to the student-athlete being eligible;

Documentation that the student-athlete has been accepted into a specific graduate degree program;

Documentation about whether that degree program is offered by the previous school; A student-athlete statement including the reasons for the transfer; and

A statement from the previous institution about the student-athlete’s status on the team.

Generally, the heart of the waiver is the three middle bullets. The NCAA wants to see that the student-athlete transferred in order to continue his or her academic career by pursuing a graduate degree not offered at the previous school.

Family Hardship Waivers

Family hardship waivers are some of the most common and most controversial waivers decided by the NCAA. The reason it is so controversial is many student-athletes in football and basketball request these waivers, and whether one is granted or denied can seem inconsistent.

The key thing to remember is that a student-athlete is arguing that the best thing for the athlete and his or her family is to allow the athlete to play immediately and that the athlete needs to transfer to assist with an ill or injured family member. The NCAA measures this in three areas.

● Nature of the injury or illness: The injury or illness should be life-threatening and involve an immediate family member (parent, legal guardian, or sibling). Waivers that are denied typically involve an extended family member (aunt, uncle, grandparent, etc.) unless that family member raised the student-athlete.
● Student-athlete’s responsibilities related to the care of the family member: The more involved the student-athlete is in the day-to-day care for the family member, the more likely the waiver is to be granted.
● Chronology of events: Waivers are more likely to be granted if something changed that prompted the student-athlete’s transfer like a diagnosis, the actual injury, or a worsening condition. Waivers are less likely to be granted if a family member has been ill or injured for a while, and nothing changed that require the student-athlete to transfer.

When requesting the waiver, the school must submit at least three sets of information, much of which will come from the student-athlete or his or her family:

● Documentation from the doctor who diagnosed the family member;
● Documentation from the doctor who is currently treating the family member; and
● A letter from the student-athlete explaining the need for a waiver.

These documentation standards can be hefty. Medical documentation typically includes both a letter from the doctor and medical documents like charts, treatment orders, and prescriptions.

Discontinued Academic Program Exception

Student-athletes may transfer and play immediately if their academic program was discontinued and they enroll in the same major they were studying at the previous school.

Military Service Exception

A student-athlete may transfer and play immediately if he or she returns from at least 12 months of active military service.

Discontinued/Non-sponsored Sport Exception

A student-athlete may transfer and play immediately if his or her previous school meets one of the following criteria:

● The institution has dropped or has publicly announced it will drop the student-athlete’s sport;
● The institution has reclassified or has announced it will reclassify from Division I or II to Division III and the student-athlete does not play after the school moves to Division III; or
● The school never sponsored the student-athlete’s sport while he or she attended the school, and the student-athlete never previously attended any institution that sponsored the sport.

Two-Year Non-Participation/Minimal Participation Exception

A student-athlete may transfer and play immediately if for a two-year period prior to starting any practice or competition at the new school, the student-athlete did not participate at all in intercollegiate athletics for two years, except for one 14-day period (i.e. a tryout). The two-year period must start after the student-athlete enrolls in college.

Return to Original Institution without Participation or with Minimal Participation Exception

A student-athlete may transfer and play immediately if the student transferred to a second school and returns to his or her original school either without practicing or competing in athletics at all, except for one 14-day period (i.e. a tryout). Athletes may do this even if they were originally required to sit out for one year.

Non-recruited Student Exception

A student-athlete may transfer and play immediately if he or she met the following conditions at the first institution:

● The student-athlete was not recruited according to the NCAA’s definition of recruiting;
● The student-athlete never received an athletic scholarship; and
● The student-athlete did not practice or compete at all in athletics at the original school except for one 14-day period (i.e. a tryout).

College Athlete Transfers Known As 4-2-4

Rules for 4-2-4 Transfers

In the NCAA, the Division I and Division II rules look very different, but are more similar than they look. There are some important differences, but there is a simple way to meet both sets of requirements.

Division I

4-2-4 transfers in Division I must meet the following academic requirements to be eligible to compete immediately after transferring to the second four-year school:

● Complete an average of 12 hours of transferable degree credit per term of full-time attendance at the junior college;
● Earn at least a 2.000 GPA in those transferable courses;
● Have at least one calendar year elapse since leaving the original four-year school; and
● Graduate from the junior college.

In men’s basketball, student-athletes may only use two credits of physical education as transferable degree credit. In men’s and women’s basketball and baseball, midyear transfers may not become eligible to play in the same academic year as their transfer.

Division II

In Division II, 4-2-4 transfers are treated as a subset of all transfers from a junior college. As a result, the basic rules are the same as the Division II 2-4 transfer rules. To play immediately in Division II, a transfer must:

● Attend the junior college for two semesters or three quarters; and
● Do one of the following:

● Graduate from the junior college; or
● Pass an average of 12 hours of transferable degree credit per term of full-time attendance at the junior college with a minimum GPA of at least 2.000.

Division II has an additional rule for 4-2-4 transfers who were originally non-qualifiers or partial qualifiers and who do not graduate from the junior college. They must have a minimum of six semester-hours or eight quarter-hours of transferable English credit and three semester-hours or four quarter-hours of transferable math credit. 4-2-4 transfers can use transferable credit from either their original four-year school or the two-year school to meet this requirement.

What 4-2-4 Transfers Need To Do

A 4-2-4 transfer is much more like a junior college transfer than transfers from one four-year school to another. The difference is that 4-2-4 transfers by definition have to manage two transfers when trying to get back to NCAA athletics. And the responsibility for managing the information and different requirements often falls on the shoulders of the athlete.

Keep Copies of All Your Information

Just like all transfers need to manage more information than high school recruits, 4-2-4 transfers need to manage even more than most transfers. That includes transcripts for both any four-year school and any two-year school, high school information, schedules, and transfer documentation. 4-2-4 transfers are especially difficult to evaluate and take the longest to certify, so make sure to avoid any delays on your end.

Get Started Early on Tracers

Tracers are documents sent from one school to another school to verify a transfer student’s eligibility. In the case of a 4-2-4 transfer, two tracers are needed: one from each school. Once you leave the four-year school, you can encourage any school recruiting you to send a tracer to that school immediately, even if you have to wait before sending a tracer to the two-year college.

Watch Both Graduation and Transfer Requirements

How credits transfer are key when an athlete is a 4-2-4 transfer requirement. 4-2-4 transfers need to have credits transfer in three ways:

From the original four-year school to the two-year school in order to meet the two-year college’s graduation requirements;
From the two-year college to the new four-year school to meet the transferable credit requirements; and
From both schools to the new four-year school in order to meet percentage-of-degree requirements in most cases.

There is a similar issue that athletes must manage with the courses they take at the junior college. Student-athletes must balance their schedule between the courses they need to get an associates degree and courses that will transfer to the new school. It is up to the athlete to get evaluations of their transcripts to make sure they are meeting all these different requirements.

Transfer Exceptions

Division II has no separate exceptions for 4-2-4 transfers, so the same ones apply as for 2-4 transfers. Division I has three specific exceptions for 4-2-4 transfers who do not meet the basic academic requirements:

● The student returns to the four-year college from which he or she transferred to the two-year college unless he or she had an unfulfilled residency requirement at the first four-year college.
● The student was initially enrolled at a four-year college that did not sponsor the student’s sport and the student meets these other requirements:
- ○ The student completed an average of 12 hours of transferable degree credit for each term of full-time attendance;
- ○ The student has a minimum GPA of 2.000 in his or her transferrable courses; and
- ○ The student spent at least two semesters or three quarters enrolled full-time at the two-year college.
● The student qualifies for the same exception to both the two-year and four-year transfer requirements.

The final exception is limited to the discontinued/non-sponsored sports exception and the two-year non-participation/minimal participation exception, the only transfer exception for both 2-4 and 4-4 transfers.

Common Problems with Transfers

Being a 4-2-4 transfer

One of the biggest problems with 4-2-4 transfers is when an athlete did not intend to be a 4-2-4 transfer in the first place. A common situation is that an athlete leaves one four-year school intending to take a semester off then enroll in a second four-year school. In order to pick up some credits, the athlete enrolls at a two-year college, but enrolls full-time, meaning he or she cannot transfer the following semester. Be sure you are willing to meet the 4-2-4 transfer requirements including attending the school for a full academic year if you enroll full-time.

Higher Level Courses

Getting eligible as a 4-2-4 transfer is relatively easy if you leave the original four-year school after your freshman year. When you leave after your sophomore year, it gets much trickier. The reason is that you may need to take many lower-level courses to graduate from junior college, but you will also need some higher level courses to meet the percentage-of-degree requirements. Make sure you keep in mind all the requirements you might need to meet and the different ways you can meet them when mixing NCAA and junior college requirements.

Division II Rules

It’s rare, but 4-2-4 transfers are one area where Division II has a much more complicated set of rules than Division I. In Division II, your status as a qualifier, partial qualifier, or non-qualifier changes your requirements as a Division II transfer. The key is to put together the toughest of both requirements and aim for that standard to make sure you have as many options when you leave the two-year college. That means graduating from the two-year college, passing 12 hours of transferable credit every term, and attending the junior college for at least one academic year.

Junior College Transfer Rules

2-4 Transfers

2-4 transfers have two different sets of rules in both Division I and Division II. One set of rules is for qualifiers, the other is for non-qualifiers (including partial qualifiers in Division II). Note that these rules are basic standards and do not include some of the less common exceptions that some athletes may be able to take advantage of.

If you attended a four year school before your junior college, you are a 4-2-4 transfer and the rules are different.

Make Sure You Are an Academic Qualifier

To be considered a qualifier, you need to have registered with the NCAA Eligibility Center and have been certified by them as an academic qualifier. Generally, if you have attended a junior college and are graduating with your AA or general education degree you are going to be an academic qualifier. In Division I, if you are transferring from a two-year college and you have been certified as a final academic qualifier, the requirements to compete in your first year are:

● Attend the two-year college full-time for at least one semester or quarter;
● Achieve a minimum cumulative GPA of at least 2.000; and
● Complete an average of at least 12 transferable credit hours per full-time term at the two-year college.

If you plan on playing baseball or basketball (men’s or women’s) after your transfer, you may not transfer during the middle of the year from a two-year college and play that same year. And in men’s basketball, you may only use two credit hours of physical education courses to meet these requirements, unless you will major in physical education.

In Division II, the requirements are exactly the same for qualifiers. Division II does not have any rules against midyear transfers playing immediately in any sport. And Division II has no limits in any sport on using physical education credits.

What to Do as a Non-Qualifier

Generally, a non-qualifier is a student athlete who is attempting to transfer before completing their general education/associates degree. In Division I, if you are transferring from a two-year college and have never been certified as a final academic qualifier, the requirements to compete, practice, and receive an athletic scholarship in your first year are:

● Attend the two-year college full-time for at least three semesters or four quarters;
● Achieve a cumulative GPA of at least 2.000;
● Graduate from the two-year college; and
● Have at least 48 transferable credit hours at a semester school or 72 transferable credit hours at a quarter school, including six or eight of English and three semester hours or four quarter hours of math.

Only 18 semester hours or 27 quarter hours may be earned during summer terms. And only 9 semester hours or 13.5 quarter hours may be earned the summer immediately prior to a transfer to a Division I school. The same midyear transfer rules for baseball and basketball and physical education credits rule for men’s basketball apply to non-qualifiers as well.

The semester and quarter hours should be calculated by someone in an athletic department to an academic adviser role. If you are a non-qualifier, take the information above to an academic advisor and plan out what you need to do in order to become an academic.

In Division II, transfers from a two-year college who were not certified as final academic qualifiers or who were certified as final partial qualifiers must meet the following requirements:

● Attend the two-year college for at least two semesters or three quarters; and
● Either graduate from the two-year college or complete an average of 12 credit hours for every full-time semester or quarter at the two-year college.

Non-qualifiers and who use the 12 credit hours per term route must earn six semester hours or eight quarter hours of English and three semester hours or four quarter hours of math.

NCAA Four Year Transfer Rules

4-4 Transfers

A 4-4 transfer requirements are centered around getting permission to contact and finding an exception to the basic transfer rule rather than academic requirements. A transfer from one four-year school to another four-year school should ask themselves the following questions:

Make sure you have met the academic requirements for 4-4 transfers, both to play immediately and to receive an athletic scholarship, if necessary.
Obtain permission to contact other schools if you need it.
Find out if you qualify for an exception to the transfer rules and determine what you need to make sure you get the exception.
Gather all the documents you may need for a transfer.
If you have to, work with your new school to file any waivers.

Rules for 4-4 Transfers

4-4 transfers do not have the same type of detailed academic requirements as 2-4 transfers. There are a few academic requirements athletes must keep in mind.

Stay eligible at the school you are leaving

One of the most important requirements when transferring is to stay eligible at the school you are leaving. If you are not eligible at the first school, you generally may not use a transfer exception to play immediately at your new school. If you are transferring to a Division I school, you also may not receive an athletic scholarship during your first year if you were not eligible to compete when you left your previous school. Finally, remaining eligible almost reduces your impact on a school’s Academic Progress Rate if you transfer, which can make getting permission to contact or assistance with your transfer easier.

Meet the transfer credit hours requirements

There are some specific credit hour requirements just for transfers. In both Division I and Division II, all transfers must complete six hours during their previous term. In Division II, those hours must be transferrable. Division I also has other credit hour requirements based on how long you have been in college:

After one semester or quarter: six semester-hours
After one academic year (two semesters/three quarters): 24 semester hours or 36 quarter-hours
After three semesters/four quarters: 30 semester hours or 42 quarter-hours
After four or more semesters/six or more quarters: six semester-hours or six quarter-hours the previous term.

If you were eligible at your previous school and you are eligible at your new school, you almost certainly meet these requirements as well.

Become eligible at your new school

Eligibility at your previous school and the transfer credit hour requirements are mostly about the hours you complete at that school. Becoming eligible at your new school is mostly about what credits are transferrable and what major you select. One important point to remember: a student who transfers before they have completed two years of school (four semesters/six quarters) generally do not need many of their credits to transfer to be eligible. If you lose many credits in the transfer, the biggest issue will be playing catch-up later on, but it may not impact your ability to play right away.

What 4-4 Transfers Need to Do

Getting Permission to Contact

The first step when transferring from a four-year school is to obtain permission to contact other schools. There are different rules for NCAA Divisions I and II, Division III, and NAIA.

Special Circumstances for NCAA Division I and II Transfers

In Division I and Division II, a student-athlete must request permission to contact other schools about a transfer. Requests can be formal or informal, in writing or oral. Most requests are less formal and during a discussion between an athlete and a coach or administrator. But the NCAA rules about requesting permission to contact only apply if an athlete makes a written request for permission to contact another school.

Once a student-athlete makes a written request for permission to contact other schools, the school has seven business days in Division I or 14 calendar days in Division II to grant or deny the request. If the request is denied, the school must notify the athlete in writing and offer a hearing with a group that does not include anyone from the athletic department. If the athlete wants a hearing, the school has 15 business days in Division I or 30 calendar days in Division II to complete the hearing and provide the results to the athlete. If the school misses either deadline, permission is automatically granted.

If permission to contact another school is denied, two things happen. First, the school must stop recruiting the athlete. Second, the school may not give the athlete an athletic scholarship for the first year the athlete attends the school. An athlete may still transfer and practice with the team, and even compete in some very odd circumstances though.

NCAA Division III Transfers

For Division III student-athletes being recruited by a Division I or II school, or Division I or II student-athletes being recruited by a Division III school, the rules are the same as Division I. Permission to contact from the school must be obtained, the school has seven business days to make a decision, and 15 business days to finish the appeal.

Division III student-athletes being recruited by another Division III school have the opportunity to release themselves. DIII athletes may complete a self-release form and send it to another DIII school. That release form allows the athlete to be recruited by the school for 30 days. For those 30 days, the second school is not allowed to tell the athlete’s school that they are recruiting the athlete unless the athlete waives the privacy. If at the end of 30 days, the athlete decides not to transfer, the school may not keep contacting the athlete. If the athlete is still undecided, he or she may send a second self-release for another 30 days of recruiting, but this time the new school must inform the current school that they received a release for the athlete.

NAIA Transfers

Student-athletes at NAIA schools who are being recruited by NCAA schools need to get permission to talk to the NCAA school. This is not an NAIA rule, but most NCAA schools will not recruit a student-athlete without a release.

If you are transferring from one NAIA school to another NAIA school, there is not permission, but notice from one school to another. If a school starts recruiting an athlete, it must notify the school within 10 days about the contact.

One-Time Transfer Exception

The most common transfer exception available to student-athletes is the one-time transfer exception, which applies to NCAA Division I and Division II. The one-time transfer exception has a number of requirements, but one of the most important is getting a release from an athlete’s current school.

The one-time transfer exception is available to all student-athletes in Division II and all student-athletes in Division I except for athletes in football, men’s and women’s basketball, baseball, and men’s ice hockey. Once a student-athlete graduates in those sports, however, they are allowed to use the one-time transfer exception.

The exception requires that the current school state in writing that it has no objection to the student-athlete using the exception. The way this normally takes place is that after a student-athlete has selected a transfer destination, the compliance office at the new school will send a form commonly called a tracer to the old school. Included on that form will be a space where the old school indicates whether it has an objection.

If the former school objects, then student-athletes have the same appeal procedure as they do if they are denied permission to contact a school. That means in Division I, schools have seven business days to respond and 15 business days to conduct a hearing. In Division II, schools have 14 calendar days to respond and 30 calendar days to conduct a hearing.

Getting an NLI Release

If you are transferring after finishing an academic year at a school, the National Letter of Intent you may have signed with the school does not impact the transfer, since the NLI will be fulfilled (NLI’s are basically 1-year contracts). If you signed an NLI and want to transfer before finishing your freshman year, then you will need a release from the NLI in addition to permission to contact other schools and/or permission to use the one-time transfer exception.

While the NLI is in effect, it can impact a transfer in two ways. First, the NLI includes a recruiting ban, so other schools may not recruit you until you are released from that ban. Second, the NLI includes a penalty if you do not attend the school you signed with for one academic year. If you do not fulfill the NLI and enroll in another NLI school, you may not compete for one year and you lose one season of eligibility in all sports.

To get a release from the National Letter of Intent, you must use the release form on the NLI website. After you fill out your section of the form, you send a copy of the form to two places: your school’s athletic department offices and to the NLI offices at the NCAA Eligibility Center. Once you send the form, the athletic department must respond within 30 days. There are three options for them to respond:

No release – This means you are not released from the NLI and all of its provisions are still in effect.
Complete release – This means you are released from all of the NLI’s provisions.
Removal of the recruiting ban – This means the recruiting ban is lifted, but the NLI penalty is still in effect if you do not fulfill the NLI.

NLI releases cannot be school-specific, like permission to contact. So you cannot be released to one school but not another. Because of this, many schools will first remove the recruiting ban, but may not grant a complete release until the school knows where an athlete plans to transfer.

If a release is not granted, a student-athlete has 30 days to appeal to the NLI Policy and Review Committee. If the student-athlete losses that appeal, there is a second appeal to the NLI Appeals Committee. Each appeal takes approximately six to eight weeks to get a decision.

Academic Information Needed to Transfer

A transfer from a four-year college will need to compile just as much academic information as a transfer from a junior college. Any students trying to be recruited as transfers must remember that it takes additional time to evaluate a transfer’s eligibility, to get them admitted to the school, and to certify them to play. To make sure they do not add to the delay, students should have the following ready:

Official transcripts
Unofficial transcripts
Current schedule
High school information
Any information about your athletic eligibility

Also remember to hang onto information you might need in only some cases, like medical information if you received or need a medical hardship waiver or redshirted for medical reasons.

Finally, remember that there is a back and forth exchange between schools when an athlete transfers. Athletes should know who to send tracers or requests to contact them in the athletic department. This will keep your recruiting flowing smoothly which is especially important for transfers who are normally recruited later in the process than high school students.

Common Problems Athletes Face and What You Can Do

Not Getting a Release

One of the quickest ways a student-athlete’s plans to transfer can be derailed is if either permission to contact a school, use of the one-time transfer exception or a release from the NLI is not granted. If this happens, the student-athlete needs to both start exploring the appeal options and trying to engage either the coach or the athletic department about why the request was denied and if there is a way to resolve the issue without waiting for an appeal ruling.

Trying to Transfer While Ineligible

In Division I, a student-athlete who transfers while ineligible at his or her original school is not allowed to be given an athletic scholarship at the second school. If you are considering transferring, make sure you know all the academic requirements you have to meet not only to be eligible at your new school but also at your original school. Your old school should be willing to help, especially in Division I where leaving ineligible will cost the school significant APR points.

Why you need a recruiting service

Unless you are a highly coveted prospect the chances are you need some guidance with the recruiting process.

Whether you need a recruiting service or not can depend on several factors. We’ll examine several instances where you might need a recruiting service and the benefits of using one.

Not a Blue Chip Prospect

If you are considered a “blue chip” prospect than most of the college recruiters will come to you. Blue chippers are considered the elite athletes in their sport and are heavily recruited by college coaches all over the country. Only about 1% of high school athletes fall into the category of blue-chip prospect. If you are not in that category you need to be proactively marketing your talents to get noticed. That is where a sports recruiting service will come in handy. Recruiting services can get your name out to more college recruiters, and offer advice on how to play the recruiting game.

Good High School Athlete BUT Gets No Recruiting Attention

There are millions of high school athletes that college coaches must recruit each year. It’s just not possible that every high school athlete is going to get noticed. Therefore, you need to have a plan to showcase your talents to college recruiters. Being a standout on your high school team isn’t a guarantee that you’re going to play at the next level. Coaches won’t recruit you based on your reputation; they must see you play before the recruiting process can start. In order to stand out from the masses, you might consider contacting a recruiting service. Recruiting services can post videos and stats of your performances for college recruiters to view, ultimately increasing your chances of getting recruited. A recruiting company will get your information into the right hands and can get your name out in the recruiting circles.

Your Sport Has Limited College Recruiting Budgets

When certain sports bring in million dollar television contracts and endorsements it is obvious which sport will get the recruiting funds. That is the business behind college athletics. Some sports can’t reach certain recruits because they are limited financially. This means athletes that play in the northwest may never get recruited by schools in the southeast. This is when a recruiting service can help bridge that gap. With a recruiting service you can now market your game to more coaches by posting video clips and online athletic/academic resumes. A college recruiter will be able to review your recruiting profile right from their office. This saves coaches time and money when they have very little of both.

What is a college scouting service?

College Scouting Services: A Closer Look

Each year college programs lose players due to graduation, injuries, transfers, and other issues. It is essential that the college coach recruit new players to fill the void. If not, the program could suffer and the coach could eventually lose his or her job. That’s why it’s so important for college coaches to restock with the best incoming high school talent.

With the pressure to win mounting, coaches will use scouting services to assist them in the recruiting process. A coach spends his time in practice, at games, at radio and television appearances, booster functions, scouting opponents, recruiting, and trying to spend time with their families. So how does a college recruiter find new talent? A scouting service could be one way to discover new recruits.

Scouting services provide the coach with a foundation to make a judgment on potential recruits. The scouting service will look at athletic traits essential to the evaluation process, and then grade each recruit based on their findings. Some things the scouting services look at are: (football) 40-yard dash, vertical jump, bench press reps, (baseball) speed from home to first, bat speed, pitching velocity, (basketball) vertical jump, height, weight, wing-span. They also look at grades, test scores, and try to find out any potential “character flaws”. There is wide range of topics for each sport that college scouts gather information on.

There are two main scouting services in the recruiting market today. The first type does all the evaluating on their own and reports their findings back to the coaches. Those companies charge coaches for the information they gather. The scouting service obtains the information by watching the recruits live and talking with high school and club coaches about their potential. The college coach will then use this information during their evaluation of high school athletes. These are more exclusive and are not using the internet for mainstream marketing as much as the other type. A service that operates like this is usually an individual or group that have a lot of connections and expertise in the recruiting industry. College coaches know a lot of people that can feed them potential recruits; therefore, it takes a lot of knowledge and experience for a college coach to pay someone for their evaluations.

The other main type of scouting service are the web based services like: Rivals, 247 Sports, and Scout.com. Because they have a subscription model and college coaches (and fans) pay for it, these types of services are classified as a Scouting Service. These services are becoming more and more popular with the rise of social media, and crazy fans wanting more inside scoop on their school’s recruiting targets.

What is a college recruiting service?

The college recruiting landscape has changed in recent years; high school athletes are finding it easier to connect with college recruiters on the internet. A good recruiting service will allow student-athletes to showcase their skills on an interactive platform. Recruiting services have been around for decades; however, not until the internet have they become more mainstream. Majority of high school athletes with the hopes of a college scholarship will have an online recruiting presence. Coaches find it easy to navigate online services to gather information on potential recruits.

Recruiting services differ from scouting services in that with a recruiting service the athletes are paying the service for recruiting exposure, and with scouting services, they are getting paid by college coaches or fans. The NCAA does not allow recruiting/scouting services to take money from high school athletes and college coaches. If a college coach is paying for “subscriber” information, then that is deemed a scouting service. If information on recruits is not made public and the only way to get the info on the recruit is by paying, then that falls under a scouting service and must be approved by the NCAA. Rivals and Scout are websites that cater to fans about recruits and dedicated college pages; however, the NCAA deemed those sites Scouting Services because they were charging for their exclusive information and college coaches were paying for it.

Since recruiting services charge athletes, they cannot take money from college coaches, too. If you are signing up with a website that does, you need to be very careful. You could jeopardize your college eligibility.

Some recruiting services will take any and every high school athlete that is willing to pay for their services. They can’t guarantee you a scholarship but will help get your search started. Other recruiting services will scout and evaluate the prospect to ensure they meet academic and athletic qualifications to play college sports.

When you register for a recruiting service you need to make sure you can do a few simple things. Each service differs in what they have to offer, but the basics that each service should provide are listed below:

● The ability to post videos
● The ability to post photos
● The ability to post stats
● The option to post contact info
● Guidance on how to get more college recruiting exposure

The prices for a recruiting service vary depending on what you want or need. Some services have a low-cost monthly subscription that gives an athlete an online profile with limited recruiting tools. Some services charge thousands of dollars for more guidance and consultations with a qualified recruiting coach. You can pick whichever service fits your needs but definitely do research to make sure the company is reputable.

Red Flags With Recruiting Services

● Make sure the company isn’t charging athletes AND fans/college coaches.
● Make sure the service is NCAA approved.
● Make sure the company has testimonials.
● Don’t pay a low monthly fee expecting it land you a college scholarship.
● Don’t register and pay a service if all they do is email blast your information out.
● The appearance of the website is a reflection of the company. Does it look cheap? Is it outdated? Do links not work?
● See how long the company has been around. A lot of scammers out there are building websites real quick and calling themselves a “College Scout”. They take families money and disappear.

What Percent of High School Athletes Play in College

Men’s Basketball

● Number of High School Athletes = 540,000
● Number of High School Senior Athletes = 154,000
● Number of College Athletes = 18,000
● Number of College Freshman Roster Spots = 5,100
● Number of College Athletes Drafted to the Pros = 46
● Percentage of High School Athletes that make a College Roster = 3.3%
● Percentage of College Athletes that make it to the Pros = 1.2%
● Percentage of High School Athletes that make it to the Pros = .03%

Football

● Number of High School Athletes = 1.1 million
● Number of High School Senior Athletes = 311,000
● Number of College Athletes = 70,000
● Number of College Freshman Roster Spots = 20,000
● Number of College Athletes Drafted to the Pros = 254
● Percentage of High School Athletes that make a College Roster = 6.5%
● Percentage of College Athletes that make it to the Pros = 1.6%
● Percentage of High School Athletes that make it to the Pros = .08%

Women’s Basketball

● Number of High School Athletes = 433,000
● Number of High School Senior Athletes = 124,000
● Number of College Athletes = 16,000
● Number of College Freshman Roster Spots = 4,600
● Number of College Athletes Drafted to the Pros = 32
● Percentage of High School Athletes that make a College Roster = 3.7%
● Percentage of College Athletes that make it to the Pros = 0.9%
● Percentage of High School Athletes that make it to the Pros = .03%

Baseball

● Number of High School Athletes = 475,000
● Number of High School Senior Athletes = 136,000
● Number of College Athletes = 33,000
● Number of College Freshman Roster Spots = 9,200
● Number of College Athletes Drafted to the Pros = 678
● Percentage of High School Athletes that make a College Roster = 6.8%
● Percentage of College Athletes that make it to the Pros = 9.5%
● Percentage of High School Athletes that make it to the Pros = .50%

Men's Soccer

● Number of High School Athletes = 411,000
● Number of High School Senior Athletes = 117,000
● Number of College Athletes = 23,000
● Number of College Freshman Roster Spots = 6,600
● Number of College Athletes Drafted to the Pros = 101
● Percentage of High School Athletes that make a College Roster = 5.7%
● Percentage of College Athletes that make it to the Pros = 1.9%
● Percentage of High School Athletes that make it to the Pros = .09%

Unofficial Visits

Unofficial visits are a great way for a recruit to see schools and get a feel for how things are on the campus. Unofficial visits are funded by the recruit and can be a great way to get on a college coach’s radar early on.

The NCAA recently (April 2018) changed the rules around unofficial visits at Division 1 level in efforts to slow the early commitments from student-athletes, and to let the student-athletes take more time to go through the college recruiting process.

Prior to the rule change, recruits could go on unlimited unofficial visits starting their freshman year in high school — this was even before college coaches were permitted to speak with the recruit. So, when the recruit was on campus, the coaching staff would meet up with the recruit and possibly even offer a scholarship. Now, athletes and their families are not allowed to arrange unofficial visits with anyone in the school’s athletic department until September 1st of the recruit’s junior year. However, families and recruits can still go on unofficial visits before September 1st of their junior year, but they aren’t allowed to have any recruiting conversations with the coaching staff while on campus.

The rules for Division 2, Division 3 and NAIA schools don’t apply to the September 1st of junior year rule. Recruits are allowed to take unlimited unofficial visits beginning their freshman year of high school to Division 2, Division 3, or NAIA schools. Additionally, the college coaches are allowed to meet with recruits and discuss college recruiting on unofficial visits to Division 2, Division 3, or NAIA schools.

Unofficial visits are important for student-athletes to take throughout their high school career. It’s difficult to get official visits from schools as they have limitations and budget restrictions that don’t allow them to extend a ton of official visit invites to recruits. Using unofficial visits is a way to evaluate if a college is going to be the right fit for you. You’ll be able to check out the campus, sit in on classes, tour the dorms, view the facilities, and get an overall experience of what it is like to be at that school.

Unofficial Visits depending on your Grade Level

Unofficial visits are a great opportunity to market yourself to the coaching staff. You’re showing interest in the school by taking the time and spending the money to visit the school, which can increase your stock with a coaching staff. Furthermore, you can use this opportunity to network with the coaching staff (depending on your grade level) to get an inside track on your recruiting interest with the coaches. However, unofficial visits can get pricey since you’ll be paying for everything, so you’ll want to make sure you use your visits wisely. A few tips to consider before taking unofficial visits:

● Have you had communication with the coach beyond a generic email from them?
● Has the coach approached you or your high school/club coach about setting up an unofficial visit?
● Is the school’s roster loaded with freshman and sophomore players? Making it harder for you to crack the roster.
● Has the coach seen your highlight video?
● Does the school offer your desired degree?
● Does the school have available scholarships or do they have a bunch of commitments in place already?

The most important thing is to communicate with the coaching staff to make sure you get value out of the unofficial visit. You’ll need to email or call the coach to set up the visit — letting them know you’re interested in their school and plan on taking an unofficial visit soon.

If you’re an underclassman interested in D1 schools, there are a few different routes you can go. First, you can take unofficial visits to those D1 schools as if you were a regular student. Tour the library and the campus at large. Check out the town. Ask questions, take notes and determine what you like about the campus. This can help you better understand what you’re looking for in a school, so you can refine your target list. Don’t forget to check out some DII, DIII and NAIA schools—you never know what your best fit will be until you explore the different options available!

What to expect on an unofficial visit

Most schools operate the same with visits, each with their own style on how to accommodate a recruit and his/her family. Make sure you come prepared with questions to ask the coaching staff. You’ll want to show that you are genuinely interested in the school, so do some research on the school and coaches before you visit the school. Be ready to talk about things like what the school has to offer, the coaches philosophies, the coach's background and career path, how you see yourself fitting in with the team, etc.

Hopefully, the coaching staff takes time to meet with you. Some will even take you on a tour of the facility, but you may have to tour the facilities and campus on your own. You should also make time to meet with the academic adviser at the school to review the academic requirements.

According to the NCAA unofficial visit rules, you are allowed to stay on campus with an enrolled student, but there are some specific rules the institution must follow based on its division level. For Division 1 and Division 2 schools, recruits can stay in an enrolled student’s dorm; however, the athlete must pay the regular institutional rate for that lodging. At Division 3 schools, recruits can stay with currently enrolled students in their dorm if that housing option is available to all students who visit the school, athletes and non-athletes alike. Division 3 schools can also pay for a student-athlete’s housing during an unofficial visit if they provide housing for every prospective student. Your parents/guardians will still need to find their own accommodations. Three free tickets to a home game are the only thing a coach can give you during an unofficial visit.

Make sure you avoid taking unofficial visits during recruiting dead periods, as you won’t be allowed to speak with the coaches at that time. Look at the playing schedule for the team you are trying to visit. Going during away games or during a crucial part of the season could be bad times to try and coordinate with the coaches. Also, make sure that the dates you visit are when a college coach is allowed to visit with a recruit — checking the recruiting calendars.

What Is an Official Visit to a College?

Any visit to a college that is fully or partially funded for by the university. You and/or your legal guardians will have your transportation to and from the college paid for. Also paid for by the college will be your room, meals (three per day – *4 for football), and entertainment expenses. Generally, you will receive three free passes to that college’s home game the weekend you are in town. Before you take a visit you must send your transcripts to the college (Division 1 only) and SAT or ACT score and register with the Eligibility Center. The college has to be the one to invite you on an official visit. There are ways as a recruit to figure out if the coaching staff is interested in offering you a visit. The easiest way is to email or call the coaching staff expressing your interest in their program. If you are getting offers to visit schools on official visits then that school is probably interested in you as a possible recruit. This is when you need to sell yourself as a student-athlete.

● You are allowed only 1 Official Visit per college and no more than 5 Official Visits to Division 1 schools.
● In Division 2 and 3 you can make one official visit per college, and the number of officials visits is unlimited at Division 2 and 3 levels.
● Official visits can’t exceed 48 hours starting when the recruit arrives on campus.
● Test score, high school transcript and NCAA eligibility center verification required before a visit.
● For Division 1 football, athletes are allowed to take official visits April 1 of junior year through the Sunday before the last Wednesday in June. Official visits are allowed again starting opening day of classes senior year.
● For Division 1 men’s basketball, recruits can begin taking official visits starting January 1 of their junior year of high school. Women’s basketball recruits may begin taking official visits April of their junior year of high school, beginning the Thursday following the Women’s Final Four tournament.
● Due to a rule update by the NCAA, effective April 25, 2018, official visits for all other Division 1 sports can begin September 1 of the athlete’s junior year of high school.
● At the Division 2 level, official visits start June 15 going into junior year of high school. For Division 3 schools, official visits beginning January 1 of Junior Year.
● Official visits are not allowed to occur during recruiting dead periods.

Everything You Need to Know About Being a College Walk-On

What does it mean to be a college walk-on?

Not every student-athlete is going to be awarded an athletic scholarship, and in some cases, athletes may choose to turn down a scholarship to a smaller school to walk-on at a bigger university. Making the team as a walk-on can be difficult, but if you are successful then there is an opportunity for you to earn scholarship money or financial aid down the road. If you make the team as a walk-on you won’t earn any scholarship money in your first year (unless you are getting academic scholarship money elsewhere). Not every high school athlete gets invited to colleges on official visits; therefore, it’s imperative to take unofficial visits to schools and build relationships with coaches. This will make it easier on you to make the team as a walk-on. Coaches invite recruits to walk-on all the time, but just getting the invite doesn’t guarantee you’ll make the roster. A walk-on will still need to try out and make the team.

What does it mean to be a preferred college walk-on?

A preferred walk-on is a term being used more and more by coaching staffs. A preferred walk-on is typically someone that is recruited by a college coach but not offered a scholarship. Preferred walk-ons typically have a lot of communication with the coaching staff and are usually offered a roster spot before tryouts, which is the main difference between a walk-on and a preferred walk-on.

What questions should you ask college coaches about being a college walk-on?

Am I a preferred or recruited walk-on? (ask this because there is a big difference)
How many are you inviting this year to walk-on?
How many walk-ons do you plan on taking this year?
Do walk-ons ever get to play? (don’t be so direct because you have to earn playing time, you just want to make sure you won’t be a practice dummy for 4 years)
Is there a guarantee that I will earn a roster spot?
Can I potentially earn a scholarship in the future? (If they say yes, try to get it in writing. Having this in writing is good, but it still lacks the binding nature of an NLI – it’s just the coach’s word)
Will I have access to the academic support systems available for scholarship athletes, such as tutors, preferential course registration, etc.?
Will I receive the same equipment, clothing and access to the training table as scholarship athletes?
Is there anything else that I need to know about being a walk-on versus being a scholarship athlete?

NCAA Eligibility Center FAQ

What You Need to Know About the NCAA Eligibility Center

These are common questions that many athletes and parents have during the college recruiting process when it comes to the Eligibility Center.

When do I have to register with the Eligibility Center?

Register at the beginning of your junior year of high school. This will allow college coaches to have the most up-to-date information about you.

When can I register?

You need to have your high school send your transcripts to the eligibility center after you have completed your junior year (or six semesters).

What is involved with the registration process?

There are a series of steps to follow when completing the registration. The eligibility center does an excellent job walking you through the process. Some information you will need to have is:

Social Security Number
Date of birth
Sports you plan on participating in
Your high school address
High school code number (get your code number from your counselor)
High School transcripts and SAT & ACT scores

Do I send them my ACT and SAT scores?

All SAT and ACT test scores must be reported directly from the testing agency. When you register for the SAT or ACT put the code of “9999” to ensure your test scores get sent to the eligibility center. ACT and SAT scores are not accepted by the eligibility center if sent on your high school transcripts.

How much does it cost?

There is a processing fee of $70 ($120 for international students). There is a possibility for a waiver in which you don’t have to pay the processing fee. In order to be eligible to waive the registration fee, you must have been granted a waiver for the ACT or SAT fee. If you weren’t then you can’t apply to have your eligibility registration fee waived.

What are the core courses that I need to become eligible?

Can I use a core course taken after I graduated?

If you are enrolled in the NCAA Division I, you can use only those courses completed in grades 9 through 12. An exception to the rule is when a student-athlete graduates on time (in eight semesters), they can use one core course completed in the summer or academic year after graduation. The course cannot be completed later than that academic year following the student athlete’s graduation date. The course can be completed at a location other than your high school. If you are enrolling in Division II you can use any courses that you complete prior to the start of your college career.

How is my GPA figured to determine my eligibility status?

Core course GPA is calculated differently than your high school GPA. The scale is on an A/B/C/D evaluation with an A worth 4.00, a B worth 3.00, a C worth 2.00, and a D worth 1.00. The eligibility center does not use plus or minuses (+, -) and the lowest grade you can earn is a D. The eligibility center uses a scale to measure the length of a class, and its value to your overall GPA. A trimester course is worth .33 units, a semester course is worth .5 units, and a year-long course is worth 1.0 units. Only your best grades from the core courses will be used. You can include other core course scores if they improve your overall GPA. Here is an example for you to calculate your GPA:

An “A” in a semester course: 4 x .5 = 2 quality points and .5 credits earned
A “B” in a year course: 3 x 1 = 3 quality point and 1 credit earned
A “C” in a trimester course: 2 x .33 = .66 quality points and .33 credits earned
A “B” in a semester course: 3 x .5 = 1.5 quality points and .5 credits earned

The next step is to calculate your grade point average. Add up your quality points and divide them by the number of credits you have earned. For this example it would be:
7.16 quality points (.5+3+.66+1.5) divided by 2.33 credits earn (.5+1+.33+.5) for a GPA of 3.07

What are the core courses that I need to take to become eligible for Division I and Division II?

Check out the Division I and Division II courses info available on this page!

Core Course RULE CHANGE!

Starting on August 1st, 2016 – Division One will require 10 core courses to be completed prior to the seventh semester. Seven of the ten must be a combination of Mathematics, English, or Natural or Physical Science that meets the distribution list below. These ten courses get “locked in” at the start of the seventh semester and cannot be retaken for grade improvement.

What is the sliding scale that Division I uses?

It is a scale that allows you to have lower test scores but a higher GPA and vice versa to qualify for your academic eligibility. If your GPA is very high then your ACT and SAT test scores can be relatively low and you can still be eligible. You need to make sure you fall within this scale provided by the NCAA.

Check out the sliding scale info available on this page!

What is the sum score that is mentioned when determining my ACT or SAT scores?

How come there is no talk about Division III and the Eligibility Center?

NCAA Division III does not use the Eligibility Center. Any questions on academic requirements need to be directed to that college institution.

NCAA Division 1 Sliding Scale

Important info for the NCAA Division 1 Sliding Scale

The NCAA division 1 sliding scale is in place for those athletes that have lower GPA’s, but have higher ACT/SAT scores and vice versa. This gives high school athletes some wiggle room to become eligible with the NCAA Eligibility Center. A very important note to make is that each university has its own academic requirements. Just because you are cleared through the NCAA does not mean you can get into a certain school. Make sure you check the school’s academic requirements. The division 1 sliding scale only determines NCAA eligibility and not eligibility for each division one institution.

There is no sliding scale for division three. Just the NCAA requirements for each level to determine eligibility status.

GPA

SAT

ACT

3.550

400

3.525

410

3.500

420

3.475

430

3.450

440

3.425

450

3.400

460

3.375

470

3.350

480

3.325

490

3.300

500

3.275

510

3.250

520

3.225

530

3.200

540

3.175

550

3.150

560

3.125

570

3.100

580

3.075

590

3.050

600

3.025

610

3.000

620

2.975

630

2.950

640

2.925

650

2.900

660

2.875

670

2.850

680

2.825

690

2.800

700

2.775

710

2.750

720

2.725

730

2.700

740

2.675

750

2.650

760

2.625

770

2.600

780

2.575

790

2.550

800

2.525

810

2.500

820

2.475

830

2.450

840

2.425

850

2.400

860

2.375

870

2.350

880

2.325

890

2.300

900

2.275

910

2.250

920

2.225

930

2.200

940

2.175

950

2.150

960

2.125

970

2.100

980

2.075

990

2.050

1000

2.025

1010

2.000

1020

NCAA Division 2 Sliding Scale

Important Info for the NCAA Division 2 Sliding Scale

The NCAA division 2 sliding scale is in place for those athletes that have lower GPA’s, but have higher ACT/SAT scores and vice versa. This gives high school athletes some wiggle room to become eligible with the NCAA Eligibility Center. A very important note to make is that each university has its own academic requirements. Just because you are cleared through the NCAA does not mean you can get into a certain school. Make sure you check the school’s academic requirements. The division 2 sliding scale only determines NCAA eligibility and not eligibility for each division two institution.

There is no sliding scale for division three. Just the NCAA requirements for each level to determine eligibility status.

Full Qualifier Sliding Scale

GPA

SAT

ACT

3.300

400

3.275

410

3.250

420

3.225

430

3.200

440

3.175

450

3.150

460

3.125

470

3.100

480

3.075

490

3.050

500

3.025

510

3.000

520

2.975

530

2.950

540

2.925

550

2.900

560

2.875

570

2.850

580

2.825

590

2.800

600

2.775

610

2.750

620

2.725

630

2.700

640

2.675

650

2.650

660

2.625

670

2.600

680

2.575

690

2.550

700

2.525

710

2.500

720

2.475

730

2.450

740

2.425

750

2.400

760

2.375

770

2.350

780

2.325

790

2.300

800

2.275

810

2.250

820

2.225

830

2.200

840 & above

70 & above

Partial Qualifier Sliding Scale

GPA

SAT

ACT

3.050

400

3.025

410

3.000

420

2.975

430

2.950

440

2.925

450

2.900

460

2.875

470

2.850

480

2.825

490

2.800

500

2.775

510

2.750

520

2.725

530

2.700

540

2.675

550

2.650

560

2.625

570

2.600

580

2.575

590

2.550

600

2.525

610

2.500

620

2.475

630

2.450

640

2.425

650

2.400

660

2.375

670

2.350

680

2.325

690

2.300

700

2.275

710

2.250

720

2.225

730

2.200

740

2.175

750

2.150

760

2.125

770

2.100

780

2.075

790

2.050

800

2.025

810

2.000

820 & above

68 & above

Division 1 Core Courses

What are the Division One Core Courses Required by the NCAA?

Below is info on the NCAA Division One Core Courses. The NCAA requires potential recruits to meet certain core courses to be Division One eligible. Most high school athletes think that the NCAA looks at their entire GPA when determining eligibility status. That is not true. The NCAA is only concerned about your core courses. That means, you cannot use gym class, art class, pottery class and so on to calculate your grade point average. So study up!

Complete 16 Core Courses:

● 4 years of English
● 3 years of mathematics *(algebra 1 or higher)*
● 2 years of natural or physical science *(one year must be a lab science)*
● 1 extra year of English, Math, or Science
● 2 years of social science
● 4 years of extra core courses *(can be from foreign language, philosophy, nondoctrinal religion, or any of the categories above)*

In addition to the 16 core courses you must also...

● Graduate from high school
● Earn a minimum core course GPA of 2.3 and;
● Earn a combined ACT or SAT score with your core course GPA. Use the sliding scale to gauge where you stand.
● Ten (10) core courses completed before the seventh semester; seven (7) of the 10 must be in English, math or natural/physical science. These courses/grades are “locked in” at start of the seventh semester (cannot be repeated for grade-point average [GPA] improvement to meet initial-eligibility requirements for competition).

Division 2 Core Courses

What are the Division Two Core Courses Required by the NCAA?

Below is info on the NCAA Division Two Core Courses. The NCAA requires potential recruits to meet certain core courses to be Division Two eligible. Most high school athletes think that the NCAA looks at their entire GPA when determining eligibility status. That is not true. The NCAA is only concerned about your core courses. That means you cannot use gym class, art class, pottery class and so on to calculate your grade point average. So study up!

Requirements: Complete 16 Core Courses:

● 3 years of English
● 2 years of mathematics *(algebra 1 or higher)*
● 2 years of natural or physical science *(one year must be a lab science)*
● 3 extra year of English, Math, or Science
● 2 years of social science
● 4 years of extra core courses *(can be from a foreign language, philosophy, nondoctrinal religion, or any of the categories above)

Full Qualifier

● Complete 16 core courses.
● Earn a core-course GPA of at least 2.200.
● Earn the ACT/SAT score matching your core-course GPA on Division II full qualifier sliding scale.
● Graduate high school.

Partial Qualifier

● Complete 16 core courses.
● Earn a core-course GPA of at least 2.000.
● Earn the ACT/SAT score matching your core-course GPA on the Division II partial qualifier sliding scale.
● Graduate high school.

Full Qualifier: College-bound student-athletes may practice, compete and receive athletics scholarships during their first year of enrollment at an NCAA Division II school.

Partial Qualifier: College-bound student-athletes may receive athletics scholarships during their first year of enrollment and may practice during their first regular academic term, but may NOT compete during their first year of enrollment.

Nonqualifier: College-bound student-athletes may not practice, compete or receive athletics scholarships during their first year of enrollment at an NCAA Division II school.

Division 3 Core Courses

What are the Division Three Core Courses for NCAA Athletics?

Division Three schools compete in athletics as a non-revenue making, extracurricular activity; hence, they are not allowed to offer athletic scholarships. The NCAA does not police the Division 3 level like it does the Division 1 and Division 2 levels. The NCAA does not require athletes to meet certain core courses.

Division 3 schools are considered some of the best academic schools in the country; therefore, they tend to offer generous academic scholarships to athletes. There are an estimated 450 schools that make up the Division 3 level, with schools ranging from 500 to 10,000+ students.

IMPORTANT: Division 3 schools do not have academic requirements set by the NCAA. Each institution has policies in place. If you’re interested you must contact that school directly.

Federal Student Aid

What is Federal Student Aid?

Federal Student Aid is an office of the U.S. Department of Education, ensures that all eligible individuals can benefit from federally funded or federally guaranteed financial assistance for education beyond high school.

Federal Student Aid plays a central and essential role in supporting post-secondary education by providing money for college to eligible students and families.

Federal Student Aid performs a range of critical functions that include:

● Educating students and families on the process of obtaining aid
● Processing millions of student financial aid applications each year
● Disbursing billions of dollars in aid funds to students through schools
● Enforcing financial aid rules and regulations
● Operating information technology systems and tools that manage billions in student aid dollars
● Visit the Federal Student Aid website for free information and guidance for federal student assistance.

Visit the Federal Student Aid website for free information and guidance for federal student assistance.

Financial Aid Tips for Student-Athletes

Important financial aid borrowing tips for high school athletes and parents. Protect yourself financially with these tips.

Borrow only what you need. After you look at your full financial picture — education cost, awarded aid and family share — determine the amount you actually need to borrow. You’re not required to accept all you’re offered.
Understand what you’ve been offered. Look at your award letter, focus on any need-based loans and note the amount. If you feel you need to borrow more and get advice from a financial aid officer at the college if needed.
Finalize your loans on time and follow instructions. Make sure you check with your financial aid officer to ensure you know the rules, deadlines, and requirements for applying for federal loans.
Shop around. If you decide you need a private (alternative) loan, take the time to compare interest rates, fees, repayment options, and borrower benefits. Your college can probably recommend certain lenders, but you are not obligated to borrow from them.
Ask questions about your loans. Find out from your financial aid officer: How much will this loan cost me in total? What are my monthly payments going to be? Can I qualify for a lower interest rate? Is the rate fixed or variable?
Apply with a creditworthy co-signer. A co-signer will almost always be required for an application to get approved. The co-signer must have a strong credit score and verifiable income. For best results on your student loan application, apply to the loan while your co-signer is present.
Know what you’re signing. Before borrowing, make sure you understand the terms and conditions, such as repayment requirements, spelled out in your promissory note (loan contract).
Look at the APR. The Annual Percentage Rate (“APR”) on loan factors in all the costs associated with the loan so that you can compare one loan to another on an apples-to-apples basis. Interest rate alone is not an adequate point for comparison. For example, a loan with a high-interest rate might look worse than a loan with a lower interest rate, but high fees on the lower-rate loan mean that it might actually be more expensive. The APR would reflect this difference.

Financial Aid Starts With FAFSA

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (known as the FAFSA) is a form that can be prepared annually by current and prospective college students to determine their eligibility for student financial aid.

By submitting your application, you apply for the U.S. Department of Education’s federal student aid programs. You are also registered to apply for funds from your state and school.

How do you receive financial aid?

● Demonstrate financial need (except for certain loans)
● Have a high school diploma or a General Education Development (GED) certificate, pass a test approved by the U.S. Department of Education, meet other standards your state establishes that the Department approves, or complete a high school education in a home school setting that is treated as such under state law
● Be working toward a degree or certificate in an eligible program
● Be a U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen
● Have a valid Social Security Number
● Maintain satisfactory academic progress once in school
● Certify that you are not in default on a federal student loan and do not owe money on a federal student grant
● Certify that you will use federal student aid only for educational purposes

What to do to begin the FAFSA process

It is recommended you follow these 3 steps when beginning the FAFSA process:

Before beginning a FAFSA: Get organized. To simplify the application process, gather required documents and other information ahead of time.
Filling out a FAFSA: Fill out the application. The FAFSA has seven steps that ask about you, your financial information, your school plans, and more.
FAFSA follow-up: View your results online. You can check the status of your application, make corrections to a processed FAFSA, and get other information.

Documents you will need before the FAFSA process begins:

● Your Social Security Number
● Your driver’s license
● Your W-2 Forms and other records of money earned
● Your (and your spouse’s, if you are married) Federal Income Tax Return
● Your Parents’ Federal Income Tax Return (if you are a dependent student)
● Your untaxed income records (veterans benefits, child support earned, worker’s comp)
● Your current bank statements
● Your current business and investment mortgage information, stock, bond and other investment records
● Your alien registration or permanent resident card (if not a U.S. citizen)

If the FAFSA considers you to be dependent on your parents or family, you will need to provide information about them on the application. The dependency status worksheet helps you figure out whether you’re dependent before filling out the FAFSA.

What is the Estimated Family Contribution for Athletes?

The Estimated Family Contribution (EFC) is the amount of money your family will be expected to contribute to your education.

How do you determine your EFC?

The EFC is subtracted from the school’s Cost of Attendance (COA), also known as the “student budget”, to arrive at your financial need: Financial Need = COA – EFC. The student budget includes tuition, fees, room and board, books and supplies, travel, and personal and incidental expenses. The lower your EFC, the more financial aid you will get. The school will try to meet this need through a financial aid “package” that combines aid from federal, state, school, and private sources with loans and student employment. You may find your EFC figure to be painfully high. This often occurs because the need analysis formulas are heavily weighted toward current income. In addition, the formulas consider your income and assets without taking many common forms of consumer debt into account, such as credit card balances and auto loans. Finally, student income and assets can add significantly to the EFC figure.

College Loan Information

When should athletes use college loans?

If funding college is an issue, talk to your guidance counselor and your family about possible college loans. Few students can afford to pay for college without some form of education financing. Most colleges offer financial aid and/or academic scholarships, so ask about both. When researching financial aid information it is best to check out that school’s website for more information.

What is an Education Loan?

An education loan is a form of financial aid that must be repaid, with interest. Scholarships, on the other hand, do not have to be repaid. If you receive a loan, you must sign a promissory note. This document acknowledges your acceptance of the loan’s terms and conditions. Typically, student loans are managed by banks and financial institutions, which handle payment options and determine how much interest you will pay. The bank will provide you with a payment schedule, as well as the approximate date that the loan will be paid in full.

What are the different education loans available?

Education loans come in three major categories:

Student Loans
Parent Loans
Private Student Loans

Below is a closer look at the different student loans available.

Student Loans to Finance College

What is The Stafford Loan?

The Stafford Loan requires no collateral, has a low-interest rate, and must be repaid beginning six months after graduation for students attending school at least “half time.” (Half time means you have to be taking at least six credit hours a semester.)

The minimum you may borrow fluctuates annually and escalates from your freshman to your senior year. In many cases, the Stafford Loan can be subsidized based on financial need, meaning that interest will not start accumulating until six months after you graduate.

Stafford Loans are designed for students who cannot cover all of their expenses during college and will likely gain employment upon graduation.

What is The Perkins Loan?

The Perkins Loan is based entirely on financial need. There are maximum amounts a student can borrow for undergraduate and graduate school. These loans have low-interest rates and do not require repayment until nine months after you graduate. A Federal Perkins Loan is a low-interest (5 percent) loan for both undergraduate and graduate students with exceptional financial need. Federal Perkins Loans are made through a school’s financial aid office. Your school is your lender, and the loan is made with government funds. You must repay this loan to your school.

Your school will either pay you directly (usually by check) or apply your loan to your school charges. You’ll receive the loan in at least two payments during the academic year.

What are The Plus Loans and Parent Loans?

The PLUS Loan (Parent Loans for Undergraduate Students) is offered to parents of dependent students who require financial assistance. The interest rate is low and repayment begins 60 days after the final loan payment. Parent PLUS loans are the financial responsibility of the parents, not the student. If the student agrees to make payments on the PLUS loan but fails to make the payments on time, the parents will be held responsible.

What you need to know about Private Student Loans

Private Student Loans, also known as Alternative Student Loans, help bridge the gap between the actual cost of your education and the limited amount the government allows you to borrow in its programs. Private loans are offered by private lenders and there are no federal forms to complete. Eligibility for private student loans often depends on your credit score.

Some families turn to private student loans when federal loans don’t provide enough money or when they need more flexible repayment options. For example, a parent might want to defer repayment until the student graduates, an option that is not available from the government parent loan program. (Many PLUS loan providers are starting to allow parents to defer payments on the PLUS loan while the student is in school using an administrative forbearance. Interest continues to accrue, however.)

Private student loans are taken out from banks, lending companies or other private entities, in the student’s name, usually with a co-signer

National Letter of Intent

What you need to know about signing a national letter of intent to play college sports!

By signing a National Letter of Intent, a prospective student-athlete agrees to attend the designated college or university for one academic year. In exchange, that institution agrees to provide athletics financial aid to the student-athlete, provided he/she is admitted to the institution and is eligible for financial aid under NCAA rules.

The National Letter of Intent has many advantages to both prospective student-athletes and participating educational institutions:

● Once a National Letter of Intent is signed, prospective student-athletes are no longer subject to further recruiting contacts and calls.
● Student-athletes are assured of an athletic scholarship for a minimum of one full academic year.
● By emphasizing a commitment to an educational institution, not particular coaches or teams, the program focuses on a prospective student-athlete’s educational objectives.

Are you required to sign a National Letter of Intent?

No. You are not required but many student-athletes sign because it gives them certainty in the recruiting process. They are legally committed to a university for one academic year, and they no longer have to worry about getting a scholarship.

Do you need to sign a National Letter of Intent each year?

No. However under NCAA rules you must be notified annually regarding whether your athletics aid has been renewed.

When can you sign a National Letter of Intent?

You can sign your National Letter of Intent during the designated signing period only. If you sign outside the NLI signing period, the NLI shall be considered invalid.

When make my National Letter of Intent valid?

A valid NLI must be accompanied by an athletics financial aid agreement (aid from an athletics source). The NLI must include the NCAA ID. The NCAA ID will be available to the prospective student-athlete once registered with the NCAA Eligibility Center and will be available to the institution once the prospective student-athlete is placed on the Institutional Request List (IRL). All junior college prospective student-athletes must also have an NCAA ID included on the NLI.

How is a National Letter of Intent declared null or void?

● Denied admission.
● Does not meet NCAA, institutional or conference eligibility requirements.
● One-Year Absence.
- ○ Signee does not enroll (two-year or four-year institution) for at least one academic year and the scholarship (in its same amount) is no longer available. Also applies to a signee who serves in the U.S. Armed Forces or Church Mission for one year. NLI remains binding if the scholarship (in its same amount) is available.
● Discontinued Sport.
- ○ Sport is no longer offered, includes student-athletes who are already enrolled.
● Recruiting Rules Violation.
- ○ NLI may be declared null and void if the violation is substantiated and prompts the need for reinstatement by the NCAA staff. It is the prospective student-athlete’s choice to null and void the NLI under these circumstances.

Do you need a parent or legal guardian to sign your National Letter of Intent?

Yes. If you are under the age of 21 then you must have a legal guardian or parent sign the NLI in order for it to be valid. If your parent or legal guardian is not available (e.g. incarcerated, death) you can have another individual sign your NLI. That person must be preapproved by the NLI Office before you and they sign the NLI.

If the coach that recruited you leaves that university, is the National Letter of Intent still binding?

Yes. When you sign an NLI, you sign with an institution and not with a coach or team.

What is the penalty for wanting to back out of a National Letter of Intent agreement?

If you sign an NLI with an institution and want a release to go somewhere else you must face a penalty if the initial institution doesn’t grant you a complete release. The NLI basic penalty is that you lose one year of competition in all sports and must serve one year in residence at your next NLI institution.

Are there any penalties for signing a National Letter of Intent early?

Prospective student-athletes who will participate in football are prohibited from signing an NLI during the early signing period (November). A student who signs an NLI during the early period in a sport other than football will be ineligible for practice and competition in the sport of football during the student’s first year of enrollment at an NLI member institution, and shall forfeit one season of competition in the sport of football. In circumstances where a student’s primary sport is not football, but anticipates participating in football, the student should delay signing an NLI until either the football signing period or during the regular signing period for all other sports.

Does a school have to grant you a complete release if you request it?

No. Granting a complete release is voluntary. If an institution denies your request for a complete release, you may petition the NLI Policy and Review Committee for Division 1 and NLI Review Committee for Division 2 for such a release.

An invalid NLI versus a null/void NLI?

If NLI is declared null and void or a complete release is granted, a prospective student-athlete is not permitted to sign another NLI until the next signing year.

If NLI is declared invalid, a prospective student-athlete is permitted to sign another NLI during the same signing year.

Verbal Offers

What are verbal offers in the college recruiting process?

Verbal offers have become very popular throughout the years as media is starting to cover high school athletes’ commitments more closely. A verbal offer is a commitment to a school before the student-athlete signs a National Letter of Intent. The commitment is NOT binding on either the high school athlete or the college. Only the signing of the National Letter of Intent accompanied by a financial aid agreement is binding on both parties. Usually, offers are made during or after an official visit. Although it is exciting to receive an offer to attend college it is smart to take some time to talk things over with your family. If a college coach wants you bad enough they’ll be more than willing to let you take some time to think things over.

College Recruiting Tips For Athletes

The recruitment process can be an overwhelming task if you are not prepared; therefore, this section is dedicated to providing college recruiting tips for athletes. Parents and student-athletes struggle each year with the notion of how to earn a college scholarship. This section is dedicated to educating parents and athletes as they venture through the recruiting process.

Athletic Scholarship Info

Earning a full-ride athletic scholarship is every high school athlete’s dream.

Most athletes think that in order to get into college, all they have to do is perform well on the field or court. Performance is only a small fraction of the recruiting process. Sure, you have to be a good athlete to play college sports; however, there are a lot of other items athletes must consider in order to land that coveted scholarship offer.</p> <p>Trying to get to that point of receiving scholarship offers is the challenge most athletes face today. There are several factors that athletes should consider when trying to get noticed. Here are some sports recruiting tips that will help you during the recruiting process.

Are you getting recruited?

Athletes have a hard time distinguishing what the level of recruiting interest they are actually receiving. Throughout high school, athletes will receive different recruiting interest from college coaches. It is important to know what all of it means. Click below to learn more about each grade level, the recruitment tactic, and what it means for an athlete’s recruiting.

Freshman Year Recruiting

As you progress through high school you will need to know more about the recruitment process. However, for now, we need to prepare you for the next 4 years. Here are a few pointers that will help you prepare for the future.

Sophomore Year Recruiting

You will begin receiving brochures, questionnaires, and other collegiate information from college recruiters. Although coaches are limited with how they can contact you, you will still be getting evaluated on the field. Here are some pointers to get you prepared.

Junior Year Recruiting

Your junior year is the most critical year in the recruiting process. College coaches are spending majority of their recruiting efforts on junior recruiting classes. Be prepared!

Senior Year Recruiting

Marketing Student-Athletes

Student-athletes need to proactively market their skills in order to get seen by college coaches.

There is more to getting an athletic scholarship than just being a good student-athlete. Recruits need to be knowledgeable on the educational topics we have covered in this section. Knowing the NCAA rules and regulations, how to apply for financial aid, college scholarship stats, and what to do on official visits will help while navigating the college recruiting process. We are dedicated to educating parents and athletes as they venture through the recruiting process. This section examines how athletes should start and carry out their marketing plan.

When should athletes start the college recruiting process?

It is essential for athletes to be proactive with their college recruitment. There is a lot of competition for a limited amount of scholarship money. It is the athletes that can effectively execute a marketing campaign that will receive the most recruiting attention. Make sure you know how to get recruited.

The earlier you start the better off you will be. You definitely do not want to wait until your senior year. Ideally, you should start prepping your sophomore year in high school, and by the time you are a junior, your marketing plan will be in full swing. The NCAA has rules that prohibit college recruiters from contacting high school athletes until they are finished with their junior year (emails are okay as a junior).

You can contact coaches via email or phone as a sophomore, and coaches can send you questionnaires and brochures about camps; however, the real recruiting starts when you become a junior in high school. That is when coaches start deciding what they need for the upcoming recruiting classes. Coaches begin to take more of an interest in your highlight videos and start to follow your press clippings as you become a legit prospect. The competitiveness of the recruiting game has changed with the advancements of technology. If you are not out there marketing your skills then there is a good chance that you’ll be looked over.

When your junior year begins you should email your recruiting profile to the schools on your target list. Depending on responses you can follow up with a phone call. Don’t sit back and hope college scouts are going to discover you; you need to be proactive and get your name out there early your junior year. Deciding on a school doesn’t happen overnight. It is a process and you want to allow plenty of time in case your target schools aren’t interested.

How to Start Your Recruiting

Each year thousands of athletes are going off to college on an athletic or academic scholarship, and those athletes all had to navigate the college recruiting process. Despite the ups and downs over the course of your athletic career, there are some necessary steps you can take to make sure you are in a good position to get a scholarship offer. There are many twists and turns throughout the process, but there are several things every high school athlete can do to get their college recruiting started. Find out what you need to do!

Online Recruiting Profile

Every college coach has used the internet in some form or fashion to recruit. That means it is important for athletes to have a recruiting profile that showcases their talents.

Target the Right Schools

It is important that you do some research on schools that are on your target list. A very small percentage of college athletes go on to play professionally, but they do go on to become professionals in some field.

Recruiting Questionnaire

Recruiting Questionnaires are important when athletes begin to research and contact schools. College coaches use these forms to recruit. Read why recruiting questionnaires are important, and read what college coaches had to say about the questionnaires.

Highlight Videos

It’s difficult for coaches to travel all over the country to see recruits play. The easiest solution to get around coaches’ busy lifestyle – send them a highlight video. It is much more convenient for a coach to sit in his office and watch a 3-5 minute video of you then it is to travel across the country. Read how to create the perfect video.

Contacting College Coaches

You have done everything you need to do to begin the college recruiting process. You now need to let the college coaches know how good you are on the field and in the classroom. There is a right way and a wrong to do that. How should athletes first contact a college coach?

Communicating with College Coaches

Keeping in contact with college coaches is an essential part of the college recruiting process.

Coaches get busy throughout the year and can’t always keep up with contacting recruits. Recruits need to be proactive to keep the communication lines open and not to slip off the radar. In order to stay on the radar and ahead of other recruits you need to do things that others might not be doing. What kind of communication efforts should recruits be doing?

Texting

The NCAA rules on texting have changed to allow for more communication between college coaches and recruits. Coaches are using texting to frequently keep tabs on potential recruiting targets. There are some important rules to follow when texting with a college coach.

Calling

This is your best way to get answers from a coach while being able to develop a friendship/relationship with them, and getting the coaches to trust in you and to let them know you genuinely care about their program. What kind of conversations can an athlete expect from a college coach?

When Is the Best Time to Call a College Coach?

College coaches are extremely busy throughout the course of a day and/or week. There are strategies recruits should consider when attempting to make contact with a college coach. Find out the secrets.

What Questions Can an Athlete Expect to Hear from a College Coach?

A college coach is going to have certain questions that they’ll ask when talking with potential recruits. It is smart to be prepared for the conversation. It is important for the recruit to have a basic understanding of what questions the college coach is going to ask.

What Questions Should Athletes Ask College Coaches?

Recruits should have certain questions prepared to ask college coaches in order to learn more about the school and sports program. Getting important answers from college scouts will help in an athlete’s athletic recruitment process.

Tips from RecruitLook Scouts

Our staff of former athletes, high school coaches, and college coaches wanted to share some important recruiting tips with you.

RecruitLook Scouts have years of experience in and around the college recruiting game. We wanted to share some of our thoughts and experiences with all the recruits and families out there. These are ideas, insights, and recruiting tips that what we believe every student-athlete should be made aware of.

Know Your Recruiting Potential

Many recruits like to think that they are division one talent, but the market is saying they are division two or lower; however, recruits still only try to land division one scholarships. That is not a good strategy. You are limiting your opportunities. How can you avoid this scenario?

No Scholarship? Here’s Why

Most recruits think that if they are good that a college scout will find them, and that their athletic ability is what will land them a college scholarship. College scouts are looking for more than just a talented athlete. Here are 3 very common reasons recruits get overlooked.

About Email Blasting…

Sending out emails is a crucial step in the college recruiting process. However, many recruits fall victim of recruiting services that promise to send out thousands of emails on the recruit’s behalf. This is a major red flag and college coaches hate it!

College Recruiting Budgets

Each university or college has a different recruiting budget for the year. The division one schools will have bigger budgets than division two schools, and athletic programs will give money making sports more money for recruiting. It is important to know how a school’s recruiting budget plays a role in your recruitment!

Have Recruiting Options

One of the biggest mistakes an athlete can make during the college recruiting process is limiting their recruiting options. College coaches are talking with multiple recruits, and athletes should be doing the same with college coaches. How can you boost your college recruiting options?

College Recruiting Case Studies

College Recruiting Stories

No two athletes will follow the exact same steps to get a scholarship offer. There will be similarities but each athlete is unique. The RecruitLook staff has helped athletes receive millions of dollars in scholarship money. We wanted to share a few of the success stories* that RecruitLook athletes have had.

*Names and schools have been changed for confidentiality purposes.

Negotiating a College Scholarship

This case study highlights how to properly negotiate with college coaches to get the best possible scholarship offer available. Many families think the first offer is the only offer. We have the right strategy to ensure you get multiple offers!

Late Starting Your Recruitment

Athletes will put off their college recruitment thinking they’ll either eventually get discovered, or that they can get it all done during their senior year. College coaches start recruiting as young as 9th grade! How do athletes overcome starting the college recruiting process late?

The Right Recruiting Strategy

You always hear about the good athlete that is getting zero recruiting attention. It happens every year! Most time, the athlete’s recruiting plan to get college coaches to notice him/her is horribly planned out. The right recruiting strategy will significantly increase your scholarship offers.

Lack of Recruiting Attention

There are many factors that might attribute to why a recruit is not getting the recruiting attention they deserve. RecruitLook Scouts see top talent get passed over year-after-year. Our team knows how to overcome the lack of recruiting exposure you are receiving. We’ve done it before, and we’ll do it again!

Handling Scholarship Offers

All recruits should know how to handle scholarship offers. Just because a recruit has scholarship offers does not guarantee scholarship money. Too many recruits are losing scholarship leads and offers because they are not educated on how to maintain the offer.

Navigating College Scholarship Offers

Most every athlete, and parent for that matter, wants to get a full-ride scholarship when seeking college scholarship opportunities. The goal should be to get the most possible money from the coach and university. It’s very important that an athlete ask the right questions when making the decision on which school to attend, especially if there is money on the table.

Coaches Talk Recruiting

What College Coaches Say About Recruiting

RecruitLook Scouts speak with college coaches all the time, and we have put together some quotes that coaches have made regarding the college recruiting process. You might be surprised!

Build Your Recruiting Brand

How to Build Your College Recruiting Brand

High school athletes need to focus on building their recruiting brand during the college recruiting process. There are millions of athletes fighting for scholarship dollars, and to get any of that money, athletes need to stand out from the crowd. Athletes need to gain a competitive edge, and this section uncovers some secrets to get more recruiting exposure.

WHY SHOULD AN ATHLETE BLOG?

If an athlete is relying on their talent to do the recruiting for them, then they run the risk of never being discovered. With an abundant amount of media outlets vying for recruiting coverage, college coaches/recruiting coordinators are using the internet to search for athletes. Coaches will search for certain recruiting needs, or they could be searching the internet to learn more about certain recruits. Furthermore, to answer the question as to why an athlete should be blogging on RecruitLook…RecruitLook ranks highest amongst keywords than their competitors.

BLOGGING IS A GREAT WAY FOR HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETES TO GET MORE COLLEGE RECRUITING EXPOSURE.

One important thing to keep in mind when it comes to the college recruiting process is: What do coaches know about you, and how can you get that info in front of them?

A simple answer is to have a personal blog. A blog is a great way to share your experiences during your high school career. Blogging will give college coaches an easier way to find and learn more about you.

Every RecruitLook athlete has their own personal blog on their recruiting profile…for free! College coaches live a very busy lifestyle, and it is difficult for them to keep up with all their possible recruits. RecruitLook helps to bridge that gap with athlete blogs! College coaches can read athlete blogs for quick, real-time information on their potential recruits. The same thing applies to athletes. Athletes can now share their achievements with the coaches recruiting them as well as coaches that are yet to discover them.

Searching Blogs

RecruitLook blogs are ranking high on Google search with a good amount of those blogs landing on the first page of Google just days after their post date. Let’s take a look at two different examples.

Blog Title: Jayson Tatum Recruiting

This was a blog about one of the best high school basketball recruits in the entire 2016 recruiting class. Jayson has thousands of articles and web mentions on the internet. Within 2 days after posting the blog, it appeared first page Google and #6 overall. The only sites that ranked higher for Jayson Tatum Recruiting search were ESPN, Rivals Network Sites, and Yahoo Sports. This is valuable for athletes that are landing on college coaches’ radars. A coach will find your blog immediately after searching Google. Then they can start to read about you and further evaluate you. Look at the photo below:

Jayson Tatum

Blog Title: Top Long-Snapper for 2014

This blog was written by a RecruitLook member trying to get more college recruiting exposure. RecruitLook Scouts advised him to blog about all his recent accolades at a position (long-snapping) that is difficult to get recruiting attention for. This was a strategy that has paid off. His recruiting has picked up significantly with a blog with the above-mentioned title. College coaches in need of a 2014 long-snapper are finding him through his RecruitLook blog. If you search for anything with keywords pertaining to ‘2014 Long-Snappers’ then you’ll see his blog. His blog ranks 4th overall on Google search just days after posting it. The blog shows up behind 2 nationally renowned long-snapping schools, and it appears before 24/7 Sports, ESPN, and Youtube clips for long-snapping. See the picture below:

top long-snapper

RecruitLook Profiles

RecruitLook blogs will appear in two locations for the athlete. One is on the RecruitLook homepage, and the other is on their Recruiting Profile. This gives coaches a direct spot to access athlete blogs, and more recruiting exposure for athletes when the blogs are on the RecruitLook homepage.

Blog Location: RecruitLook Homepage

Top blogs will be promoted on the RecruitLook homepage on the featured blog section. The 2 main scrollers in the large boxes, and the mini-scroller along the right side of the page. This is a great chance for athletes to get their blog posts read by college coaches and fans!

Blogs on RecruitLook Homepage

Blog Location: Athlete's Recruiting Profile

Blog posts will also appear on the athlete’s recruiting profile. This is very important for student-athletes that are trying to get recruited. The more that athletes are blogging about how wonderful they are, the more college coaches can learn about them. College coaches are doing as much research as possible on new recruits, so having a location on a recruiting profile that can give the coaches important information is paramount. Below is a screenshot of where each blog will appear on a recruit’s profile.

What Athletes Should Blog About for More Recruiting Exposure

Blogs need to focus on topics that will increase your recruiting potential. Don’t blog about what you had to eat that day or about your summer vacation trip. College coaches do not need or want to know that information. You should be blogging about topics that a college coach will be interested in.

How Athletes Should Maximize Blogs for Search Engine Rankings

It is very important that you blog, and it is just as important that you label your blog properly. In order to rank higher in Google, you’ll need to have your blog titled properly. The blogs mentioned earlier in this post were able to rank highly in a short time because they were titled properly. If the long-snapping blog was titled “I’m a long-snapper” then Google probably wouldn’t have ranked it; however, since it was labeled with what people are searching Google for, it was able to rank first page.

Social Media in Recruiting

Social media has vastly changed the landscape of college recruiting. Student-athletes and parents can use this section to educate themselves on how to utilize social media for college recruiting exposure.

Earning a full-ride athletic scholarship is every high school athlete’s dream. Trying to get to that point of receiving offers is the challenge most athletes face today. There are several factors that athletes should consider when trying to get noticed. Here are some sports recruiting tips that will help you during the recruiting process.

Social Media in Recruiting

With the popularity of social platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, high school recruits are more under the microscope than ever before. Social media isn’t going anywhere, so athletes better become familiar with how to use it.

Twitter Costing Scholarships

High school athletes can lose out on a scholarship with a 140-character tweet! It has happened before and will continue to happen. What is costing athletes scholarships?

Social Media Advice

There are a few things every athlete should do to protect themselves on social media. These simple steps could be the difference on a scholarship offer or not.

Twitter Tips for Athletes

Twitter can definitely help an athlete land a scholarship just as easy as it can cost a scholarship. Read these tips from the RecruitLook team on how to use Twitter for your college recruitment.

Facebook Tips for Athletes

Facebook can definitely help an athlete land a scholarship just as easy as it can cost a scholarship. Read these tips from the RecruitLook team on how to use Facebook for your college recruitment.

Instagram Tips for Athletes

Instagram can definitely help an athlete land a scholarship just as easy as it can cost a scholarship. Read these tips from the RecruitLook team on how to use Instagram for your college recruitment.

Athletic Scholarship Info
Marketing Student-Athletes
Communicating with College Coaches
Tips from RecruitLook Scouts
College Recruiting Case Studies
Coaches Talk Recruiting
Build Your Recruiting Brand
Social Media in Recruiting

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How Seriously Are You Being Recruited?

Just how serious are you getting recruited? There are a lot of different things that happen during a recruit’s high school careers that signal their level of recruitment with specific colleges; however, athletes and parents have a hard time distinguishing what the level of recruiting interest actually is.

Less than 2% of high school athletes will receive an athletic scholarship (per the NCAA reports). It is very important for athletes to know what their recruitment level is.

Not Getting Recruited

Athletes are not on the recruiting radar yet; they haven’t reached out to coaches, or simply don’t have the talent to play college sports. Typically recruits that aren’t receiving recruiting attention wind up walking-on, Division Three, JUCO, or not playing at the collegiate level at all.
Somewhat Getting Recruited

Athletes are getting interest but still need to do more to get seen. Typically recruits that get somewhat recruited end up at JUCO, NAIA, Division Three, and possibly Division Two.
Actively Getting Recruited

These athletes are on the radar and have college level talent. Typically recruits that get actively recruited end up at mid-major to high major schools or division two.
Heavily Getting Recruited

These athletes are near the top of a coach’s recruiting board. Typically recruits that receive heavy recruiting interest go to Division One schools.

Here is a look at the different recruitment levels for each high school grade level, and the division level that a recruit will likely play at.

Grade

Freshman

Sophomore

Junior

Senior

Not Getting Recruited

No letters or recruiting materials from any colleges.

Very few letters and camp invites from colleges.

A few recruiting questionnaires. Invites to a few camps. No response from coaches on any outgoing emails.

Unofficial invites only. Very few emails/texts/calls from college coaches.

Somewhat Getting Recruited

A few letters from college coaches (typically mass mailing letters). A few camp invites.

A good amount of letters from college coaches. Multiple camp invite offers. Invites to specific combines or elite showcase events.

Some handwritten letters from college coaches. Emails/texts/phone calls from a few college coaches. Invited to a college’s Junior Day. Invite to combine/showcase events. Maybe an evaluation or article by a recruiting company.

Continued conversations with at least 15-20 college coaches. Multiple unofficial visit invites. 3-7 official visit invites. Possibly a few scholarship offers. Invitations to walk-on.

Actively Getting Recruited

A steady amount of letters from college coaches. Recruiting questionnaires, camp invites, and admission information in the mail. Some coaches will attend high school or club team games to show their interest.

Lots of letters, questionnaires, and camp invites. A few schools could make a scholarship offer. College coaches will be evaluating these athletes during the permitted time frames.

Handwritten letters from coaches. Phone calls and texts start once the recruiting calendar allows. Numerous invites for unofficial visits. 1-3+ scholarship offers.

Phone calls/texts/social media contact from college coaches on a regular basis. Official visit offers. 3-10+ scholarship offers. In-home visits from college coaches.

Heavily Getting Recruited

Tons of recruiting information and letters from college coaches. A few schools will make scholarship offers.

Evaluations during high school and summer games. 3+ scholarship offers. Tons of unofficial visit offers.

5-10+ scholarship offers. Lots of coaches calling for verbal commitments. Tons of unofficial visit offers. Recruiting tactics/strategies from college coaches that normal recruits don’t get. As many evaluations as coaches are allowed.

10+ scholarship offers. Signing a National Letter of Intent during the early signing period. Asked to enroll early to schools to be ready for spring practice.

Senior Year Recruiting Info

This is your final chance to impress college coaches. All the camps, practices, games, traveling, and training you’ve done to become a better athlete is about to pay off.

You need to stay focused on earning an athletic scholarship. If you are just now starting the recruiting process then you are a bit behind schedule; however, there is still time to get noticed. We don’t recommend you wait this long because you waste three good years of networking with college coaches. If you start early then coaches can get to know you, and they can see the progress you make each year. We put together some tips for you to follow as you begin your senior year.

Don’t Lose Focus on Your Grade
We have been preaching it for four years now. No coach wants to waste his or her time on a recruit that can’t make grades. You’ve worked hard your whole high school career so stay the course.
Talk to Your Guidance Counselor
Make sure you are on track and taking the right courses to become eligible. The NCAA has strict rules in place that require you to take certain college preparatory courses. Check with your counselor to ensure you will be eligible.
Retake ACT or SAT
If you feel that your ACT or SAT scores could hurt your chances of getting into college, then retake them. You should also consider retaking the exams to improve your financial aid situation. Academic scholarships can always be added to your athletic scholarships. This is especially important if you aren’t getting a full ride athletically. Full-ride athletic scholarships are rare and are usually coupled with an academic scholarship of some sort. Having good grades can help coaches decide on recruits with similar physical skills. If you need help with studying try using a study guide. Studies show that properly preparing for the ACT/SAT can increase scores.
Get Cleared
You can’t play unless you first get cleared by the NCAA Eligibility Center. You should have taken care of most of the tasks in your junior year. It isn’t difficult to register but it is a requirement. Remember when you take the ACT or SAT to request your test scores be sent to the eligibility center. The code for doing that is 9999 on the exams. After April 1st you can sign the amateurism questionnaire and the final authorization signature that they require. If you enroll in the spring semester than the date is October 1st.
Contact coaches
This is extremely important if you haven’t been getting many looks. Hopefully, you read our other posts and you have been contacting coaches. If not, don’t panic there is still time. You just need to spend more time at it. You should send out emails and letters to dozens of potential schools. Let the coach know you are interested, and that you can help their program. Research the school before you contact anyone. You should have some information about the university and coaching staff to include in your email and letter. You can even call the coaching staff. There are no restrictions on phone calls that you initiate to the staff. Don’t abuse the privilege and get labeled ‘annoying’. Call every couple weeks if you need to.
Research Schools
If you have multiple offers on the table, or simply trying to decide what school to attend, you should do some research and learn as much as possible about the college. Find out what is important to you. Don’t attend a certain university solely based on a scholarship offer. Only about 1% of college athletes go on to play professional sports. Going to a school that fits you will lay the foundation for the rest of your life. Consider more than just the money on the table. Figure out other important things like:
- - What do you want to study?
- - Do you prefer a small or large school?
- - How much will it cost?
- - Does the school have a good reputation?
- - What is their graduation rate?
- - What are the academic requirements?
Broaden Your Search
If you are a little late in getting the recruiting process started then this is important for you. You don’t have the time to waste on just a couple of schools. You should contact as many college coaches as possible. There are great schools all over the country at all levels that you can attend. Don’t set your hopes on a few schools without having a backup plan. Contact as many coaches as possible.
Market Your Talents
The reason a coach might not be recruiting you has nothing to do with your athletic ability, but rather because they have no idea who you are. Coaches have thousands of athletes to filter through, and from time to time they miss a few quality recruits. That’s just how it goes. The key is to make sure you are one of the ones that get seen. There are certain tips and tricks that you can use to get in front of college coaches.
Sign a National Letter of Intent
You have done everything in your power to get noticed and finally got offered a scholarship. Sign your letter of intent, and celebrate with family and friends. Congrats!

Online Recruiting Profile

How to create your online college recruiting profile

The recruiting industry has shifted with the advancement of new technologies. Old strategies are still in place, but college coaches are now using the internet and their cell phones to see new recruits. Create an online profile at RecruitLook to begin showcasing your skills. An online profile now gives you a platform to network with hundreds of college coaches.

A good online profile will allow you to post:

- Personal Information (contact info, graduation year, high school, bio)
- Academic Information (GPA, ACT score, SAT score, interested college majors, academic achievements)
- Athletic Information (height, weight, sport, position, athletic accolades)
- Stats (current and career)
- Upcoming Schedule
- Photos
- Highlight Videos

Recruiting Questionnaires

Why athletes need to submit college recruiting questionnaires

Visit the college websites and find the recruiting section to submit your recruiting questionnaire. This gets your name into the school’s database of high school athletes that are interested in their program. This does not mean that you are getting recruited, but you are now on the mailing list to receive information about any upcoming games, camps, showcases, and breaking news. This is a good way for you to get acquainted with coaches because you can reply back to any of the material that they are sending you.

Here is what a few college coaches had to say about recruiting questionnaires:

One coach said that if they ask a recruit to fill out the questionnaire and that recruit does not do it, then they see it as the recruit not being that interested; therefore, the coaching staff will back off on their recruiting efforts for that particular high school prospect. That means as a high school recruit, don’t be lazy! Take 5-10 minutes to fill out the questionnaire and send it back.

Another coach said that if an athlete submits the questionnaire, then they know that they are interested regardless of what reports might say. Most college coaches have contacts and sources that can fill them in on certain recruits, so if a recruit wants to stay close to home then schools might back off some; however, if the recruit is filling out recruiting questionnaires, the school will continue to take an interest in them. Which means the athlete now has options!

Going back to our question... why should you fill our recruiting questionnaires? The best answer is that you are giving yourself options. There is no blueprint for landing an athletic scholarship, and if you don’t have other options then you put yourself at risk for not getting a scholarship offer. Most schools now have the recruiting questionnaires online at their website.

Highlight Videos

Recruiting videos have become an essential part of any high school recruit looking to gain the attention of prospective college coaches. Just about every coach in America is using the internet to watch videos on new recruits. If you don’t have a video ready to go then you are missing a great opportunity to get seen by college scouts.

Why is a recruiting video important?

It’s difficult for coaches to travel all over the country to see recruits play. College coaches live a busy life. They have team/university commitments, recruiting budgets to factor in, families to spend time with, opponent scouting, recruiting thousands of players, game planning during the season, and the list goes on. With all that a coach has to do, it is very unlikely that they’ll spend the time or the money to come to watch you play based on your reputation. The easiest solution to get around coaches’ busy lifestyle – send them a highlight video. It is much more convenient for a coach to sit in his office and watch a 3-5 minute video of you then it is to travel across the country.

What should be included in an athletic recruiting video:

Highlight Section

The first thing a coach should see when he plays the highlight section of your video is a screen that has the following information and a picture of you in your uniform. This screen should remain up for about 6-7 seconds. If you have so much information that you need a second screen then it should follow for another 6-7 seconds but without the picture. The coach can pause the image if he needs more time to review it.

Name, Address, Home Phone,Cell Phone, Email Address, School, Year in School/or Class of, Age, Date of, Birth, Height, Weight, Coach Name, Coach Phone, Coach email, Position, Uniform Number, Uniform Colors: Home, Uniform Colors: Away, GPA, ACT, Scholastic Awards (if any), Athletic Awards

This gives the coach all the essential background information he needs before he reviews your plays. It’s in one place and can be paused if he needs more time to review it.

Identify the play

Each play should be identified with a slate displaying the Play Identification Number preceding the play and have a chapter marker inserted by the editor during the editing process so the play is easily accessible through a menu by the coach if he wants to review certain plays again.

Identify the player on screen

Each play should start with a freeze frame of the setup, and the player clearly identified with a circle or an arrow so the coach knows exactly where to look on the screen. This should remain for approximately 2 seconds on screen then be released for the action to play through. In some cases, if the player is off-screen when the play begins, the play will begin then freeze when the player enters the action, the player will be identified with an arrow or circle and the play will continue.

Number of plays

The number of plays should be determined by the quality of the play itself and the athlete’s performance within the play. A good number is between 20 and 30. In some cases, less is more. The important thing is to convey how you do your job in a given situation and the consistency of your performance.

A complete game

It’s becoming a common practice to have a complete game ready for college coaches. Pick the game you and your coach feel is your best work and upload it to your recruiting profile.

Music and graphics

Overuse of music, graphics and other “creative” elements detract from the overall statement you are trying to make, so they should be used sparingly.

How Should You Text with a College Coach?

Just like communicating via text message with your friends… it’s easy and can be a quick way to converse with college coaches.

There are some simple strategies you can do to get a conversation started and to maintain a conversation with college coaches. Below are some examples.

You should know the rules for when texting is allowed...

NCAA D1 Rules NCAA D2 Rules NCAA D3 Rules

Below are some examples of how to text with a college coach.

Hey Coach, great game last night. I was able to catch it on ESPN2. Keep on rollin! Thanks, Joe Athlete
Hey Coach, I read in the paper that you won again yesterday. I can’t wait for next week’s game! Thanks, Joe Athlete
Hey Coach, tough loss last night. Your team played really well…they never quit. Thanks, Joe Athlete
Good luck Saturday against State College. I’m sure the place will be rocking! Thanks, Joe Athlete
When would be a good time to visit? My dad and I are looking at October 30th. Let me know. Thanks, Joe Athlete
Hey Coach, I was voted player of the week by the Daily Paper. I’ll send you the link. Thanks, Joe Athlete
Hey Coach, we won our big game against Rival City. I’ll send you a link to the article. Thanks, Joe Athlete
Hey Coach, I just posted new video of my in-season conditioning. I’ll email you a link! Thanks, Joe Athlete
I hope all is well. We won again last night. I scored 2 goals and had an assist. Thanks, Joe Athlete
Thank you for coming to my game today/tonight. I appreciate you taking the time to evaluate me.
Coach, here is my schedule for the upcoming tournament. I hope to see you there.
Thank you for the compliments. I think I played well, but I know I have room to grow. (after a coach texts congrats on a good game.)

Coaches have been texting for years so they don’t mind if you use (u) instead of (you) and so on if you need more room for the rest of the text.

Important Info When You Text A College Coach:

A coach isn’t going to want to hear from you at weird hours of the night.
Don’t text multiple times if you don’t get a response. If you don’t get a response, try to resend in a few days.
Don’t use vulgar language.
Don’t send inappropriate pictures (partying, flipping off the camera, etc).
Don’t ask a coach if they are going to offer you a scholarship via text message.

Should Student-Athletes Call College Coaches for More Recruiting Exposure?

This is your best way to get answers from a coach while being able to develop a friendship/relationship with them, and getting the coaches to trust in you and to let them know you genuinely care about their program.

What kind of conversations can athletes expect with a college coach?

Always introduce yourself with First and Last name, high school and if you have never spoken with the coach or think he might not remember you, then throw in your position and graduation year.

Here is how you should lead into a conversation when the season is going on:

Good luck coming up against Boise State. You guys have to have one of the toughest opening schedules in the nation.
You played Oklahoma State tough in the second half.
Thanks for the email about your game against Oklahoma to start the year. I watched it on TV. Your offense looks explosive this year.
After watching your game I think your style of play fits my skills set perfectly. From what I see you like to set up the pass with the running game, right? (Then the coach will say something back). One of the things I really worked on to improve on my techniques this summer was getting to the second level and taking on blockers. (Coach might say something back about their offense).
I was good last year on handling my assignments on the line. I only allowed 2 sacks. I think to be a collegiate offensive lineman you must be able to pass block to give your quarterback time. I have been working hard this year on my pass blocking techniques as well as my strength. I will send you my workout video…I was lifting a 500lb tire 30 yards down and back.

Feel free to throw in (and we recommend you do) any other positions you play on the field.

Obviously you won’t be rambling on like this the entire time, but you can see the points that you can hit on. You want to highlight some of your strengths, and how you could be an asset to their program. The best thing is to do some research on the school beforehand so it looks like you know what you are talking about. Plus, coaches will like the idea that you are following their program.

A more general approach to phone topics after you have the coach on the line:

You really have the team playing well this year.
What is your outlook for this week’s game?
What have you been doing in practice to get ready for your next game?
As a running back, I am impressed by your ground and pound attack.
Did I send you that link yet of my in-season workout video?
Have you seen the article about me being voted player of the week?
What is the academic workload like when you are in season?
What is the travel schedule like? Do you generally Fly or take a bus?
Are you trying for a big recruiting class?
Is my position being heavily recruited?
How many players are ahead of me at my position?

What should athletes do if the coach doesn’t answer their phone call?

If a coach doesn’t answer then don’t leave a message. Try to call back a few times throughout the day or week before leaving a message. If you leave a message keep it short and simple like this:
“Hey Coach Smith, this is Joe Athlete from State High School. I just wanted to touch base with you about how my season was going, and to talk about things at State University. I have been following you guys closely this fall and want to discuss how I can be a part of the program. You can reach me on my cell at…..or email me at…….. Thank you and I look forward to hearing back from you.”

Should Student-Athletes Call College Coaches for More Recruiting Exposure?

Knowing what college level you are best suited for will help tremendously with your college recruiting.

If you are only getting recruiting interest from smaller colleges then you should focus your recruitment on those types of schools. Many recruits like to think that they are division one talent, but the market is saying they are division two or lower; however, recruits still only try to land division one scholarships. That is not a good strategy. You are limiting your opportunities.

Of course every recruit wants to play for the big division one program; however, there are just as good of opportunities out there at other division levels. Very few college players actually make it in the professional sports world, so college athletics should be your avenue to get a discounted college education. The goal is to further your education and to enter the professional business world ready for an opportunity…not to play professional sports. Again, it is about being realistic with your skills. Don’t pass on an opportunity because you think you should be playing somewhere better.

Parents also need to realize their kid’s recruiting potential. There are millions of high school athletes competing for very limited scholarship opportunities. If parents don’t go into the recruiting process with an open mind and realistic goals, then it could jeopardize where their kid goes to school and the scholarship amount they receive.

By no means are we trying to hold anyone back from chasing their dreams of playing college sports; we just want athletes and parents to realize that the recruiting process is very competitive and that there are opportunities outside of the high major college athletics.

Here are a few tips athletes can use to see what colleges might be a good fit for them:

Get a RecruitLook Scout to evaluate their skills and get feedback about their recruiting potential.
Get a high school coach, trainer, or former college athlete to evaluate their skills and get feedback about their recruiting potential.
Attend a showcase, combine, or college camp to see the talent level of other recruits outside your hometown.
Contact college coaches to see if they are interested in what you have to offer. If a college coach likes what you bring to the table then they’ll be interested in learning more.
Do some research on the school’s previous recruiting classes. Did that school only recruit McDonald’s All-Americans and you are a role-player on a decent team…chances are you won’t get recruited by that school, but there is probably another university that might be interested.

Three of the Most Common Reasons Athletes Don’t Get Scholarship Offers

Most recruits think that if they are good that a college scout will find them, and that their athletic ability is what will land them a college scholarship. Don’t be shocked at this next sentence. College scouts are looking for more than just a talented athlete.

Yes, a scout wants to make sure you can compete in their conference, but a scout is also evaluating beyond just the playing surface.

Coaches Don’t Know About You
College coaches have thousands of athletes to discover, scout, evaluate, contact, scout, evaluate, contact, and eventually possibly offer. You will get passed over if you rely only on your playing ability and reputation. How do you expect a coach to find you when they are busy looking at other recruits? There are thousands of recruits all over the country just like you, and there are very limited scholarship dollars compared to the number of high school athletes out there. What are you doing to set yourself apart? Athletes need to be networking and getting their info to coaches. Don’t settle for a school you do not want to attend and don’t jeopardize scholarship money just because you failed to be proactive in your recruiting approach.
Poor Grades
You can lie about being 6’5” when you are really 6’4”, but you can’t lie about your grades! Your GPA, ACT, and SAT scores will be checked by every single college coach that is remotely interested in you, and the coaches usually start off by checking your grades after they find out about you. The number one question RecruitLook Scouts hear from college coaches is: “What are his/her grades like?” There is no way around being a poor student, and college coaches will not risk a scholarship on an athlete with bad grades. If two athletes had the exact same playing ability and physical attributes, but one was a 4.0 GPA student while the other was a 2.5 GPA student. Who do you think will get the scholarship offer? If you are struggling in certain classes then get a tutor. If your ACT score is low then take an ACT prep class. Being a good student will open more doors for you.
Bad Character On And Off the Field
We mentioned the number one thing coaches ask about are grades, and probably the second most frequently asked question is: “What kind of person are they?” One thing coaches absolutely will not take a risk on is a player with a bad attitude. That is your attitude on the playing field, in the public, and on the social media sites. If you are labeled a “risk” then coaches will tend to back off on their recruiting efforts. College coaches don’t have time to deal with someone that will jeopardize the reputation of the university, and they don’t want to waste a scholarship on someone that won’t respect that hard-work, sacrifices, and responsibilities that come with being a collegiate athlete. In short, be respectful to your high school coaches and show good sportsmanship, stay out of trouble with administrators and the law, and don’t clutter your social media sites with inappropriate material.

Should Athletes Email Blast College Coaches?

ANSWER:

Don’t Rely on Email Blasting for a Scholarship Offer

Parents always want to know what it’s going to take for their son/daughter to get an athletic scholarship. The simple answer is exposure. But how do they get exposure? The best way to get more college recruiting exposure is to have a proactive approach about getting an athlete’s name in front of coaches and to know the right strategies it takes to make that happen.

One major misconception with the recruiting process is that ‘email blasting’ is a great way to get an athlete’s info out to college coaches. This is not an ideal strategy if you want to get serious looks from college coaches. Majority of the ‘email blasts’ from scouting services to colleges land in the coach’s junk mail, or the college coach simply just doesn’t open it. A college coach would rather hear directly from the recruit. At RecruitLook, one of the many things we offer athletes is one-on-one coaching to properly handle phone calls and emails to college coaches. Instead of blasting your info to schools across the country, we work with you to put together a more targeted list of schools to contact. Then we’ll provide you with all the contact info for those coaching staffs. We also provide custom emails to send to each coach.

In order to get a scholarship offer, athletes HAVE to talk with coaches. Don’t think that email blasting your info to schools is magically going to get you an offer. Some recruiting services will guarantee to send your information to 25,000+ college coaches. Just think about that last statement for a second… 25,000 emails going out to coaches is not feasible. College coaches want qualified recruits, not SPAM emails, and sending info on email blasts is just spamming college coaches. Nobody likes spam email! So, do not spam someone to try and make a good first impression.

You’ll increase your scholarship chances if you have a solid game plan on how to effectively market your talents to targeted coaches, and it starts with sending out emails, not spam.

What Are College Recruiting Budgets?

Understanding College Recruiting Budgets Can Help Your Recruitment

Coaches won’t come to you – but they hope you’ll come to them! Professional teams have coaches and they have scouts. In college, coaches and scouts are the same guys. This highlights how little time college coaches really have to run around looking for recruits. Some of the major universities will spend millions on recruiting, while other schools will spend a fraction of that. Not every sport in college gets the same recruiting budget. Football and Men’s Basketball usually have the biggest recruiting budgets, and other sports have to share from a pool of recruiting funds.

Millions of dollars sound like a lot when it comes to a recruiting budget – until you consider that is split between 23 different sports. Even if your sport is getting five-figure budgets – how many round trips, including hotels, meals, and plane tickets for one or two coaches will that buy? Each recruiting trip cost about $1,500-$2,500 per coach. With universities closely monitoring expenses on the balance sheet, coaches don’t have the freedom to travel to every sporting event to recruit new players. If you’re one of the top recruits in the country, no sweat – you’ll probably get seen because coaches want to evaluate the top talent firsthand. What about the other 99% of recruits? How will they get noticed, and what if a big Division One school isn’t a good fit for you? What if you’re looking at a Division Two school or Division Three? Colleges outside Division One have recruiting budgets of only a few thousand dollars.

Standing in the shoes of a recruit, looking at the big world of college sports from the outside, it can seem like schools have unlimited power and resources; however, the truth is, they’re stretched for time and money. Coaches are looking as hard as they can for good recruits, and they can never find enough!

That’s why it’s so crucial for athletes to reach out to coaches. Even the best-off, big-time college programs hardly have enough money, time, or resources to find as many athletes as they’d like or the quality they’d like. So, take the initiative and get yourself found.

So take the initiative and get yourself found. Contact a RecruitLook Scout today, and we’ll get you the recruiting exposure you deserve!

Athletes Need Recruiting Options

Athletes Need to Have College Recruiting Options as a Potential Prospect

One of the major mistakes high school athletes make besides starting the college recruiting process too late is – not having enough recruiting options. Athletes become complacent once a few college coaches start to reach out to them, and that will only limit the amount of recruiting potential an athlete will have.

College coaches are going to say exactly what you want to hear as a high school athlete, and that is typically something like: “you are our recruit”, “we really like you”, “you would be a good fit here”.

What potential recruits don’t realize is that college coaches are probably saying the same thing to other recruits, and that college coaches have several options when recruiting certain positions. College coaches have a wish list just like recruits do for schools. If a coach can’t get his number one recruit, then they’ll start going after other potential players. The same thing should apply for athletes when looking at schools.

It isn’t smart for athletes to limit their recruiting potential to just a few schools. It is hard to determine where an athlete falls on a coach’s recruiting board. So, by having options the athlete now has more control over their recruiting destination. A coach will give you hints that they are interested, but once a better recruit comes around to commit, the coach will stop recruiting other athletes. And, if the athlete has no other options they are left scrambling for another school.

Athletes also become more attractive recruits once other schools start to take notice. College coaches don’t want to miss out on any recruit that can help their program win, especially when other schools start to take an interest in the recruits playing abilities.

How to Handle Scholarship Offers

I’m getting division one looks, I don’t need any recruiting help.

That is something we hear quite often from athletes. If an athlete is getting division one offers then they do not need any recruiting help; however, if the athlete is only getting looks, they should consider a recruiting service. There is a huge difference between a “look” and an “offer”. College coaches are looking at hundreds of athletes, so don’t think that a coach emailing, texting, or sending you letters is going to guarantee you a scholarship offer.

We talk a lot about the college recruiting funnel*. It goes something like this:

-College coach sends 1,000 letters to potential prospects.
-500 of the 1,000 get invited to camps or junior days.
-250 of the 500 are somewhere on the recruiting radar for the coaching staff.
-125 of the 250 are getting closely recruited (but you have no idea what 125 that is).
-60 of the 125 get invited on unofficial or official visits.
-40 (roughly) of the 60 are offered.
-20 (roughly) of the 40 commit to that school.

*This is the recruiting funnel for a division one football program, so you can adjust the numbers accordingly to get an idea of the recruiting funnel for your sport. Football probably sends out the most information to recruits because the football program has the biggest recruiting budget.

Let’s take a look at how Mitch Sanders fell victim of the “I have looks... I don’t need help” recruiting trap.

Mitch approached RecruitLook at the start of his junior year. He was a good football player that had received a few accolades. College coaches from the FCS level began sending Mitch recruiting material. Mitch contacted RecruitLook to get a free consultation of his recruitment. At that time, we advised Mitch to join our program so our RecruitLook Scouts could help him navigate his recruitment. Mitch declined. Mitch thought because some FCS schools were looking at him, that soon FBS programs would start to do the same.

Mitch’s dream was to play at the FBS level.

Mitch went on to have a good junior season, and he even received some All-State mentions. He received his first offer from a FCS school after his junior season. Mitch was excited, and so were we! However, we told Mitch that he needed to join the RecruitLook program to help him navigate what was a crucial part of the recruiting process.

Mitch just ended his junior campaign and no FBS school had made an offer. All the FBS programs were still just “looking” at Mitch. Mitch had about 8 FBS schools that were keeping the conversations going with him, but nothing was progressing past the usual “coach speak”.

We told Mitch about the college recruiting funnel. We explained to Mitch that college coaches are talking with hundreds of recruits just like him! College coaches are telling Mitch exactly what he wants to hear: “You’re our guy. We want you. We just need to see…”

That is all pretty typical stuff from college coaches. They tell a recruit that they are special and that they are really liking him. However, they aren’t offering him a scholarship! Coaches are wanting to see what happens with some of their other targets (probably higher ranked targets) before they get more serious with Mitch.

Then disaster happened! Mitch had the only 2 offers he had on the table pulled. By this time it was the middle of his senior year. He still had looks and interest from multiple division one programs, but the FCS schools got tired of waiting for Mitch to commit or not. So, the FCS programs pulled their scholarship offers. Had Mitch been working with RecruitLook, we would have been able to help him understand the importance of fostering the relationship with the FCS school. Mitch basically just let the offers sit there until it was too late.

Mitch called RecruitLook for immediate help! Mitch was ready to trust in RecruitLook. It was time to go to work!

We put together a game plan for Mitch. We needed Mitch to trust in what we were going to do. It wasn’t going to be easy, but we could definitely get Mitch to a good program. At this point in his career, Mitch was rated a 3-star recruit and on ESPN’s top 150 list for his state. We knew we could get Mitch to a good school, we just needed to go after it the right way. See, even top-rated recruits need help. No athlete is guaranteed a scholarship solely based on a star rating!

The game plan we had for Mitch was in short… figure out how to get back on the radar of FCS and FBS programs, and to see what schools really thought of Mitch. We were able to talk with coaches for Mitch* to discover that numerous programs still liked him, but they were focusing their recruiting efforts more heavily in other positions.

We went back through every school that had once been interested. We wanted to get Mitch some fall back options should the FBS schools decide to pass. We spoke with about 20 FCS schools that had once expressed interest to find out about half still wanted Mitch. The programs figured Mitch would be going to one of the two schools that had offered him. His recruitment started to pick back up from the FCS level.

Now that we had our safety net of schools back in the mix, we went after the FBS programs. Our goal with the bigger programs was to leverage his star rating, his accolades, his grades, AND to get him on campus! Mitch had to be willing to go on some unofficial visits in order for the coaches to see how serious he was about their program. Mitch went on about 10 unofficial visits to various FBS schools, and out of those 10, there were 4 that really liked him.

We instructed Mitch to stay in constant contact with the 4 FBS schools and the FCS programs. It was the end of his senior year and we were running out of time. We were able to get a few major publications to do articles on Mitch. We then sent those articles to the 4 FBS programs. One school took a real liking to Mitch, they invited him for an official visit.

Mitch knew to leverage the FCS offers and all the renewed recruiting interest to his advantage. We had Mitch fully prepared for that visit. We knew things would be okay for Mitch. Mitch did not receive an offer on that visit, but the coaching staff told him that they would offer in the coming weeks.

One week before National Signing Day, Mitch called with great news. The FBS program called him and offered a partial academic scholarship. That isn’t bad considering he had no scholarship offers midway through his senior year. Mitch’s family was in a good financial situation that they could afford to pay the other half of tuition. Mitch’s dream of playing FBS football came true!

We couldn’t have been more proud of Mitch and all his efforts to secure his scholarship.

* The coaching staff cannot influence admissions on the academic scholarships. Recruits should qualify for the academic scholarships, but college coaches can “recommend” that admissions look at particular recruits for certain academic scholarships.

What should athletes blog about for more recruiting exposure?

Here are a few ideas...

Blog about a big athletic performance.
Blog about an athletic award you won.
Blog about academic achievements.
Blog about showcase events or combines that you’ll be attending.
Blog about the results of showcase events and/or combines.
Blog about your experience on official and unofficial visits.
Blog about your upcoming season.
Blog about game results.
Blog about donating your time to charity in your community.

As you can see there are a lot of different things you can and should be blogging about. These blogs will give college coaches a better insight on you as a recruit. Plus, they’ll find you easier when searching for certain athletes on Google. And, yes, college coaches do use Google to find and learn more about recruits.

How do athletes maximize blogs for search engine rankings?

2 easy ways: A good blog title and well written content.

Here are a few examples of bad and good blog titles:

Bad

Good

I had a huge football game

2015 football recruit scores 3 touchdowns

I did well at my combine

Voted 2015 running back MVP at Chicago Football Combine

I am doing well in the classroom

Selected to 2014 academic all-state team

We won the game!

Riverside High School beats Glendale to win Districts

Off to see Penn State

Good

Bad

My golf recruiting is taking me on a visit to Penn State

After you master titling blogs you need to focus on writing good content for you blog. In the online world there is a slogan “content is king”. Which means, the better your content is the more likely you’re blog will be found on Google. You’ll want to write the blog with descriptive sentences that will help get better search results, and better content in your blog will also make coaches happy.

Here is an example of a bad and a good paragraph:

Bad Content

Good Content

I did well at my latest combine this summer. I was voted a top target after running a 4.45 40-yard dash. The event was fun and I made some new friends. I’m excited to see what happens from here.

As a top 2015 running back recruit from Georgia, I performed above expectations this past weekend at the Nike Elite Combine. My combine scores earned me a top 5 ranking for my position, and my 40-yard dash time of 4.45 was the fastest among all 250 participants. I was nominated as a top target to watch for the 2015 football recruiting class, and I am one of ten recruits that got invited to the All-Star game.

Social Media In Athletic Recruiting

Social media has vastly changed the landscape of college athletic recruiting.

Social media in athletic recruiting is similar to the evolution of sending emails instead of letters. There is a new way to conduct business in high school and college athletic recruiting. Everyone is connected!

Student-athletes can now display every move of their college recruitment, sharing and interacting with fans and college coaches as they decide on the right college choice.

With the popularity of social platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, high school recruits are more under the microscope than ever before. College coaches are monitoring recruits to get a better understanding of their behavior and personality.

RecruitLook Scouts have discussed social media with college coaches on numerous occasions. Social media is fun and mindless for recruits; however, they don’t realize the potential severity of their actions on social media.

“We saw how a student-athlete conducted himself on the internet. We simply won’t put up with that potential headache. His twitter gave us a good idea of just how immature he really is. Social media has become a green screening process for us.” -Division Two Men’s Basketball Coach

In this technology and media-driven society that we live in, everything is out there for people to see. Recruits really need to be aware of what they are putting out there, and even how they are responding to critics.

“We’ve used Google to do research on recruits that we are looking at. You’ll be surprised by what we can dig up from their social media accounts.” -Ohio Valley Men’s Assistant Basketball Coach.

Now that there are people out there that want to stir up controversy and see a recruit stumble. Recruits need to not get in “social media beefs” with any of their followers. Let that stuff go. The best thing you can do is to send or tweet your message and then turn your notifications off.

Social media doesn’t always have to harm your athletic career. Athletes can boost their college recruitment by taking advantage of social media. At RecruitLook, we’ve connected athletes with college coaches through social media, and in a few cases, those athletes have received scholarship offers.

Athletes just need to be aware of what they are putting out there social media, and to remember that college coaches are always watching!

Twitter Costs Athletic Scholarships

Can social media costs athletic scholarship money?

High school athletes can lose a scholarship in 140-characters. Read that again. Yes, it is absurd to think that social media, as harmless and fun as it can be, has that much influence on your future. It only takes one tweet to jeopardize a free or discounted college education.

Twitter is a micro-blogging tool that is used by millions, including high school athletes and college coaches. Each tweet is 140-characters or less that can be favorited, retweeted, and screen captured to share with thousands even millions more! The social networking site is popular with the high school demographic. Some use it to tweet about the school dance, what they are eating in the cafeteria, or how they dominated on Friday night football. However, there is always the temptation or lack of awareness to post demeaning comments, and it just takes one tweet to potentially cost a high school recruit thousands of dollars.

Division one football coach, Mark Richt, rescinded his scholarship offer to a recruit because of the recruit’s twitter activity. Richt’s staff notified the recruit that they were not happy with how the recruit was behaving on twitter. The recruit changed his twitter handle to a new username and continued to misbehave on twitter. So, Richt decided it was time to cut ties with that recruit. Social media activity is monitored very closely by entire coaching staffs!

Georgia coach Mark Richt told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he dropped a recruit who was committed to his school because of the player’s presence on Twitter.

“We told (the kid and) we told his coach (that) we don’t condone that, and he was a guy who was already committed to Georgia. And he persisted. Well, actually he changed his (Twitter) handle and continued to do that kind of thing thinking we wouldn’t find out. And we found out about it, and we cut him.”

University of Georgia Football Coach Mark Richt

Richt isn’t the only coach from a high profile college program to stop recruiting an athlete based on the athlete’s social activity. Penn State coach, Herb Hand, sent out a tweet on his account that he stopped recruiting a player because of the player’s social feed. Hand tweeted the following about it...

University of Houston head football coach, Tony Levine, said in a 2014 interview that he has dropped three recruits from the 2014 class because of inappropriate remarks posted on social media.

“There are certain things you are looking for,” Levine said. “I think it gives you a little insight now into the young man you are talking about becoming a part of your program.”

College coaches at all levels in every sport are taking to social media to monitor potential recruits. RecruitLook Scouts speak with college coaches on a regular basis, and coaches are not afraid to voice their concern over a potential recruit’s social media activity.

“College coaches outside the division one level have a smaller room for error when it comes to their recruits. Smaller programs need talented players with good characters. Coaches outside D1 won’t win if they are constantly kicking kids off their team,” said Mike Enright, CEO of RecruitLook.

Most programs don’t have the recruiting budgets and resources that major Division One institutions have. Therefore, smaller schools are doing as much research on recruits as possible before they commit to offering a scholarship. A lot of that research starts on the recruit’s social media account.

“What better place to see what a person is really like than on their social media account,” Enright said. “If a recruit is inappropriate on an open forum like Twitter, coaches will probably assume the same behavior will carry over to the classroom, playing field and locker room.”

Twitter should be more about bringing excitement to the college recruiting space. Athletes are more accessible than ever before, giving fans and athletes a way to interact in real-time. Colleges are also using social media to promote the school, give live updates, and create a fun environment for all fans and athletes to interact.

There is a lot of good that comes with social media, but recruits need to be aware of the harm it can cause to their future if not monitored properly.

Social Media Advice For High School Athletes

Social Media Tips to Help Student-Athletes

Nothing is truly private on social media. You might think you can delete a tweet, Instagram pic or Facebook post, but content posted on the internet doesn’t just vanish. It is easy to screenshot content or find things archived in Google searches.

Social media isn’t going away, in fact, it is only growing in popularity. More and more people are using social media in various ways to interact and promote brands or trending topics. Athletes are using social media outlets as a way to promote their brand… themselves. As great as social media can be for an athlete, it can also cause destruction.

Here is some social media advice for high school athletes:

Personal Branding
Your social media and RecruitLook accounts are telling a story of who you are. How do you want people to see you? Remember that your personal image can be tainted by poor online choices.
You Own It
If you retweet it (or share it), you own it. Freedom of speech does not equal freedom from consequences.
Be Courteous
Don’t use your social platforms to vent and cause controversy. Use your social accounts to have fun, but make sure you show support to your fans, family, and coaches for helping in your athletic journey.
Block the negativity
There is always going to be “haters” out there. Do not respond or feed into the negativity that they are spreading. Most just want to provoke you in some way. Tweet and then put the phone down or close the computer. You don’t have time to see what some hater is saying…take the high road.