Leading up to September 1st, we received a crazy amount of calls and emails. Parents and student-athletes had been asking the same kinds of questions about what is going to happen and if their student-athlete is going to get a call. On Friday, September 1st at 12:01 am, members of the Class of 2019 could receive unsolicited inbound phone calls from Division I college coaches. For some families, this happened. For most, this did not. Now what?
A lot of hype was built around this one date in recruiting, but for most it has been extremely underwhelming. I am sure this leaves you with a lot of questions. Why didn’t I get a call? What do I do next? Is the recruiting process over for me? We want to help break this down for you so that you know how to move forward with your recruiting process because it is far from being over.
What is the significance of September 1st of a student-athlete’s Junior year?
Division I college coaches can call you!
September 1st of a student-athlete’s junior year in all sports (with the exception of football, swimming and diving, basketball and ice hockey) is the date when college coaches can start personally calling student-athletes about recruiting. 13.1.3.1
For lacrosse, September 1st of junior year is also when college coaches can start answering phone calls and speaking with student-athletes about recruiting. 13.1.3.2.2.1
For student-athletes in all sports (with the exception of men’s basketball and men’s ice hockey), Division I coaches are able to email you about recruiting now!
Coaches can now communicate with you about recruiting via email, text, and social media messaging. For lacrosse student-athletes this now extends to your club (who were not able to communicate about your recruiting process prior to September 1st).13.4.1
Off campus recruiting contact is allowed for lacrosse and wrestling student-athletes!
This date varies for other sports, but for lacrosse and wrestling student-athletes, September 1st opens the doors for college coaches to pay visits to their schools and homes. 13.1.1.1.5
Lacrosse, wrestling and women’s gymnastics student-athletes can make unofficial visits with athletic department’s involvement!
For these sports, you can now arrange a time with the college coach to go on an unofficial visit with athletics department involvement (this entails contact with athletics department staff, athletics-specific tours, complimentary admission). 13.7.1.3
What if I did not get contacted by a college coach on September 1st of my junior year? What does that mean?
If you are a top tier recruit, you probably already had an idea that a college coach was going to contact you on September 1st or you have a sense of where you are on a coach’s list. If you did not get any calls, don’t worry! September 1st phone calls are really only significant for top recruits at top 25 ranked programs. It is also an opportunity for college coaches who already have established their very top recruits to reach out and talk to you before you talk to any other coaches. For those who did not get any calls, this is a good time to really dive into your recruiting process and get your name on college coaches’ radars!
What should I do next?
Reply promptly to any contact you are receiving from college coaches.
Be sure to message or call back any coach that tries to contact you within 24 hours of their message. This shows coaches you are dedicated to the process and respect their outreach. It can be as simple as a “thank you” and “I will be sure to follow up with more information”. Make sure you set up text alerts on your SportsRecruits account so are quickly notified of contact via the messaging system. Keep your options open to many different kinds of schools. The school you end up at may not have been originally on your list.
If you only have top ranked schools on your Favorites list and you were not contacted by any of those schools, consider casting a wider net.
While a top 25 ranked school is the dream for many student-athletes, remember there are 8 million student-athletes playing in high school right now and many of those student-athletes want to compete at the collegiate level. We are not saying this to scare you, but there is a lot of competition out there to play at top 25 ranked schools. It is okay to broaden your search and make sure you are looking for the right fit athletically, academically, and socially. Remember you are playing a sport in college for 4 years, but your education and college experience sets you up for the rest of your life.
Proactively reach out to schools to restate interest and to schedule a phone call.
If you are unsure where you stand with schools in the process and you have not heard from them, reach out and let them know that you are still interested. Now you can talk to college coaches on the phone, so ask them if they have time to talk. Coaches will be honest and tell you if they are available. You have nothing to lose by asking a coach to schedule a call and coaches will respect that you are putting yourself out there to learn more.
Get to work uploading an updated highlight reel or video so coaches can access it when you message them. When messaging through the SportsRecruits platform, we always suggest telling coaches that they can access your academic, athletic and personal information as well as your video when they click your link. By communicating on the platform, you will be able to see which schools view your profile and video.
Our Final Thoughts
We know that September 1st of your junior year may not have lived up to the glitz and glamour of its reputation. We want to assure you the right school is out there for you. You still have time but use this time wisely. Be proactive and confidently go after the schools that give you the best opportunity as an athlete AND student.
If you have any questions at all, please email us to set up a 15-minute phone call. You can also put time on our calendar here. We’re here to help.
Ready to reach out to coaches?
