Will the rules change soon regarding how and when a D1 coach can engage with a prospect? Someone on our club team did a recent college visit and the coaches alluded to that.
If the family pays for all costs of visit, it’s an “unofficial visit” and the coach can talk about just about anything if meeting a prospect on campus…
Since lacrosse changed the rules last year, other sports are looking at how it is working and seeing if they want to change their rules. It took about 5 years for lacrosse to change its rules, and then everyone was asking “what took so long.”
In lacrosse, it doesn’t matter if the visit is paid for by the athletic. Recruiting is banned until Sept 1 of Junior year. Does this rule get stretched? Of course. Younger students can go to campus visits but can’t talk to the coaches. They can attend camps, but can’t talk about recruiting, playing time, playing styles, getting into the school. The coaches can still contact the club and high school coaches for information on players.
It’s only been in effect for one year, so still a work in progress. Some follow the rules, some bend and stretch the rules.
I’ve been told girls soccer coaches are telling recruits the rule is going to change very soon for them as well and making offers and wanting verbal commitments before it takes place.
My daughter is also a D1 soccer recruit and has been told that the deadline could be as early as April 25th so she is trying to squeeze in several college visits before that.
When they made the change in lacrosse, it was on a very random date (like April 25) without any notice. It was the day after the committee adopted the new rule. There was panic in the streets, but everything worked out. Those who were ‘almost’ committed were allowed to commit. Really, all it meant was that there could be continued contact by the coach over the summer since most of the players close to committing were sophomores; any junior could continue the recruiting process. There is nothing to sign when committing early. The student would not have applied to the school yet, the tuition and fees for the academic year 3 years away haven’t been set so the FA offers can’t be issued.
I think it has been no big deal at all.
The new recruiting rules were just announced today that go into effect next school year and will be enforced for all sports except the big two: football and basketball.
1.Official visits have been moved up and may now begin to take place on Sept 1 of JUNIOR year.
2. Athletic department personnel (including coaches) can not participate in any way in an athlete’s unofficial visit until Sept 1 of JUNIOR year.
3. Recruiting conversations during on-campus camps or clinics are prohibited until Sept 1 of JUNIOR year. (Schools won’t even be allowed to leave tickets to games/meets for prospective players.)
Looks like they tried to close the loopholes around being on campus at clinics and camps. They will address the communications around recruiting next apparently as there may be some loop holes there that coaches will try to take advantage of. I personally believe, it will not have any negative effect on where athletes go. The extremely talented ones will still find their way to the top programs…just later.
@crimsonmom2019 is that different than the existing lacrosse rules that were put in place last year? I think official visits were only senior year before but the rest is the same, correct? It would definitely be easier to start some official visits junior year if possible. Do you know if this is DIII as well?
I wish we could have done officials sooner. We did a couple out of pocket that I would have loved to have been reimbursed for. Plus there were a couple of schools S didn’t visit because I didn’t want to shell out for another visit to a school that ultimately I think he would pass on and he didn’t want to wait to commit.
I’m happy with his decision, but it would have been nice to get a couple more visits in to be sure. The guys at his level were committing spring junior year, and he didn’t want opportunities to evaporate so he did too.
@LMC9902 The only difference seems to be the communication piece where lacrosse (and now softball) have specific rules around incoming telephone calls and off-campus contact. It appears those will be the next areas of focus as the new rules do not specifically address them which could be seen as loopholes around the rules. It is specific to DI; no changes were made to DIII recruiting.
The earlier officials is a great change. As it stands now, for some sports, the official is simply checking a box rather than a real process to determine which school is best through several visits. I also understand, however, for those same programs, it becomes a budget issue. Still, I’m all about what is in the best interest of the athlete and I like these changes very much.
The biggest difference in lacrosse is the contact with sophomores (and younger) by the coaches to the families. There are still the loopholes of coaches going through club coaches and some high school coaches, but I think the pressure to commit is somewhat gone.
But really, I think it makes no different at all to where the kids end up. The top recruits are going to go to the top schools, and the others will all sort themselves out.
Can anyone post a link to Div 1 OV timing change?
Also, AFAIK, DIII OVs can start as early as January 1 of junior year (with coach contact as early as Sept 1/first day of classes junior year)…been like that for at least a year.