On March 13th, 2020 the NCAA Division I voted to go in what was known as a recruiting Dead Period, which halted all in-person contact between coaches and prospective student-athletes. After multiple extensions, that Dead Period is set to be lifted on June 1st. M. Grace Calhoun, the Chairman of the NCAA Division I council was thankful to all of those affected by the over 13-month dead period in her statement:

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The full announcement includes additional updates to the Football recruiting calendar, allowing more telephone calls throughout the year than the typical recruiting calendar. If you are unsure of what the recruiting calendar is for your particular sport, you can find that here .

The NCAA Division I Council also made an announcement regarding their new transfer legislation, which will allow all Division I student-athletes a one-time opportunity to compete immediately in the 2021-2022 academic year if they choose to transfer.

What Student-Athletes Should be Doing Now

  • Continue to stay safe- It is totally understandable if you are gearing up for a lot of travel this summer due to this announcement. Just remember to continue to follow all guidelines laid out by the World Health Organization.
  • Review your target list of schools- This is a good time to reassess your list of schools. Try to have a conversation about your target list with your athletic advocates (i.e. your current coaches, trainers, etc.) and take a little time to do the research on the schools you are interested in. Division I programs will be as competitive as ever, so having a realistic outlook on what schools are a good fit for you will be crucial.
  • Continue to try to schedule phone calls- Division I College coaches will be as busy as ever in the coming months. The best way to continue the recruiting relationship is to contact them early before the wave of messages and requests to schedule a visit begins.
  • Get in front of college coaches -If you are a student-athlete interested in pursuing NCAA Division I Athletics, this announcement officially allows you to have in-person meetings with college coaches. It also means that Division I programs will be allowed to host their own prospect camps this summer, and attend other recruiting events, such as showcases and tournaments. It will be crucial to check for any updates from your target list of schools to see what events they are attending or hosting so you have an opportunity to play in front of them live.
  • Make updated video available- Hopefully, you have had an opportunity over the last few months to compile footage of yourself competing, working out, or working on specific skills. Between now and June 1st, you should try to showcase the most up-to-date video of yourself as an athlete to ensure that you are maximizing the interest of the schools on your list.

How can I Stay up to Date on Important Announcements?

Follow SportsRecruits on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook where we will be posting important recruiting updates as information changes. You can also follow the Inside the NCAA Twitter channel,  the NJCAA Twitter, and the NAIA COVID Updates page where they have been posting updates in real-time. Lastly, check out the NCAA website for additional updates and resources.

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Mike Babich is one of the Recruiting Analyst at SportsRecruits. Mike has experience in collegiate athletics as a former football student-athlete at Mount Ida College, as well as a Graduate Assistant and Assistant Football Coach at Long Island University. He also served in the role of an Admissions Counselor for two years at Molloy College in Rockville Centre, New York. He has a passion for helping student-athletes better navigate and understand the recruiting process.

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