Helpful hints for parents/legal guardians of
a college bound women’s basketball student-athlete
The following is an outline of some helpful NCAA rules and guidelines as you and
your daughter navigate the recruiting process.
Visit the NCAA for more direct information on the recruiting process, click here: NCAA
The NCAA, or National Collegiate Athletic Association, was established in 1906 and
serves as the athletics governing body for more than 1,300 colleges,
universities, conferences and organizations. The NCAA membership includes
(1) 337 active Division I members; (2) 290 active Division II members; and (3)
435 active Division III members.
NCAA Eligibility Center
The NCAA Eligibility Center certifies the academic and amateur credentials of all
college-bound student-athletes who wish to complete in NCAA Division I or II
athletics. In order to participate in Division I[1] athletics or receive an
athletics scholarship during your daughter’s first year, your daughter must:
Remember: Meeting the NCAA academic requirements does not guarantee your admission into a
college. Your daughter must apply for college admission to the institution she wants to attend!
Once your daughter begins high school (and no later than the beginning of her junior year), she should register with
the NCAA Eligibility Center. To register go to www.eligiblitycenter.org.
Amateurism
If your daughter wants to participate in NCAA Division I or II athletics, she must
also be certified as an amateur student-athlete. The NCAA Eligibility
Center will determine the amateurism eligibility of all freshman and transfer
college-bound student-athletes for initial participation at an NCAA Division I
or II college or university.[2] In Division III,
certification of an individual’s amateurism status is completed by each college
or university, not the NCAA Eligibility Center. When your daughter
registers with the NCAA Eligibility Center, she will be asked questions about
her athletics participation. The information she
provides will be reviewed and a determination will be made as to whether her
amateurism status should be certified or if a penalty should be assessed before
certification. If a penalty is assessed, she will have an opportunity to
appeal the decision. The following pre-NCAA enrollment activities may be
reviewed for amateur certification:
Prospective Student-Athlete
When does your daughter become a prospective-student-athlete (prospect)?
o Your daughter is regarded as a prospect when she starts classes for ninth grade,
regardless of any athletics participation. Your daughter can become a
prospect before ninth grade with regard to particular institutions if she (or
her relatives or friends) is provided any financial assistance or benefits from
an institution that the institution does not provide to prospective students
generally.
Recruiting 101
Summary of Recruiting Rules for Division I women’s basketball
Sophomore year:
Senior year:
[1] For
requirements for Division II and III institutions please go to www.eligibiltycenter.org.
[2] Additional information regarding NCAA amateurism rules is available on the NCAA Eligibility
Center’s website by logging on to the NCAA College-Bound Student-Athlete section
at www.eligibiltycenter.org, then clicking on the “Resources” tab at the top of
the page.
NOTICE: The information contained in this document is
provided as a service to parents/legal guardians of college-bound women’s
basketball student-athletes and does not constitute binding advice on compliance
with NCAA rules and bylaws. The NCAA makes no claims, promises or
guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information
contained in this document. This document is current as of October 7,
2011.
a college bound women’s basketball student-athlete
The following is an outline of some helpful NCAA rules and guidelines as you and
your daughter navigate the recruiting process.
Visit the NCAA for more direct information on the recruiting process, click here: NCAA
The NCAA, or National Collegiate Athletic Association, was established in 1906 and
serves as the athletics governing body for more than 1,300 colleges,
universities, conferences and organizations. The NCAA membership includes
(1) 337 active Division I members; (2) 290 active Division II members; and (3)
435 active Division III members.
NCAA Eligibility Center
The NCAA Eligibility Center certifies the academic and amateur credentials of all
college-bound student-athletes who wish to complete in NCAA Division I or II
athletics. In order to participate in Division I[1] athletics or receive an
athletics scholarship during your daughter’s first year, your daughter must:
- Graduate from high school;
- Compete these 16 core
courses: 4 years of English, 3 years of math (Algebra 1 or higher), 2 years of
natural or physical science (including one year of lab science if offered by
your high school), 1 extra year of English, math, or natural or physical
science, 2 years of social science, 4 years of extra core courses (from any
category already mentioned, or foreign language, comparative religion or
philosophy); - Earn a cumulative minimum required grade-point average in her core classes; and
- Earn a combined SAT or ACT
sum score that matches her core-course grade- point average and test score
sliding scale (for example, a 2.400 core-course grade-point average needs an 860
SAT).
Remember: Meeting the NCAA academic requirements does not guarantee your admission into a
college. Your daughter must apply for college admission to the institution she wants to attend!
Once your daughter begins high school (and no later than the beginning of her junior year), she should register with
the NCAA Eligibility Center. To register go to www.eligiblitycenter.org.
Amateurism
If your daughter wants to participate in NCAA Division I or II athletics, she must
also be certified as an amateur student-athlete. The NCAA Eligibility
Center will determine the amateurism eligibility of all freshman and transfer
college-bound student-athletes for initial participation at an NCAA Division I
or II college or university.[2] In Division III,
certification of an individual’s amateurism status is completed by each college
or university, not the NCAA Eligibility Center. When your daughter
registers with the NCAA Eligibility Center, she will be asked questions about
her athletics participation. The information she
provides will be reviewed and a determination will be made as to whether her
amateurism status should be certified or if a penalty should be assessed before
certification. If a penalty is assessed, she will have an opportunity to
appeal the decision. The following pre-NCAA enrollment activities may be
reviewed for amateur certification:
- Play with professionals
- Salary for participating in athletics
- Contacts with a professional team
- Prize money
- Delayed initial full-time collegiate
enrollment to participate in organized sports competition - Any financial assistance based on athletics
skill or participation - Tryouts, practice or competition with a professional team
Prospective Student-Athlete
When does your daughter become a prospective-student-athlete (prospect)?
o Your daughter is regarded as a prospect when she starts classes for ninth grade,
regardless of any athletics participation. Your daughter can become a
prospect before ninth grade with regard to particular institutions if she (or
her relatives or friends) is provided any financial assistance or benefits from
an institution that the institution does not provide to prospective students
generally.
Recruiting 101
- Contact
- A contact occurs any time a coach has any face-to-face contact with your or
your daughter off the college’s campus and says more than hello. A contact
also occurs if a coach has any contact with you or your daughter at her high
school or any location where she is competing or practicing.
- Contact period - During this time, a college coach may have in person contact with you/your daughter
on or off the college’s campus. The coach may also watch your daughter
play or visit her high school. You and your daughter may visit a college
campus and the coach may write and telephone you during this period
- Evaluation – An evaluation is an activity by a coach to evaluate your daughter’s academic or athletics ability. This would
include visiting her high school or watching her practice or compete.
- Evaluation period – During this time, a college coach may watch your daughter play or visit her high
school, but cannot have any in-person conversations with you or your daughter
off the college’s campus. You and your daughter can visit a college
campus during the period. A coach may write and telephone you or your
daughter during this time if she is a contactable prospective student-athlete.
- Quiet period – During this time, a college coach may not have any in-person contact with you or your
daughter off the college’s campus. The coach may not watch your daughter
play or visit her high school during this period. You and your daughter
may visit a college campus during this time. A coach may write or telephone
you or your parents during this time if she is a contactable prospective
student-athlete.
- Dead period - A college coach may not have any in-person contact with you or your daughter on
or off campus at any time during a dead period. The coach may not
conduct an evaluation during a dead period. The coach may write and
telephone you or your parents during this time if she is a contactable
prospective student-athlete.
- Unofficial visit – Any visit by you or your daughter to a college campus paid for by you or your
daughter. Your daughter may make as many unofficial visits as she likes and
may take those visits at any time; however, not during the July evaluation period.
- Verbal commitment – This phrase is used to describe a college-bound student-athlete’s commitment to
a school before she signs (or is able to sign) a National Letter of Intent
(NLI). A college bound student-athlete can announce a verbal commitment at
any time. While verbal commitments have become very popular for both
college-bound student-athletes and coaches, this “commitment” is NOT binding
on either the college-bound student-athlete or the college or
university. Only the signing of the NLI accompanied by a financial aid
agreement is binding on both parties. Also, a written
financial aid agreement is considered binding with or without and NLI.
Summary of Recruiting Rules for Division I women’s basketball
Sophomore year:
- Can receive brochures for camps and
questionnaires - You or your daughter can make calls to the
college coach at your own expense. The coach cannot call you or your
daughter. - No off-campus contact or official paid visits
can occur. - Can make unlimited unofficial visits; however,
not during the July evaluation period.
- Can begin receiving recruiting materials
September 1 of her junior year. - You or your daughter can make calls to the
college coach at your own expense. - Coaches can call you or your daughter once per
month in April (on or after the Thursday following the Women’s Final Four) and
May. Once between June 1 and June 20 after her junior year. Once
between June 21 and June 30 after her junior year. Three times in July
after her junior year (maximum one call per week). - No off-campus contact or official paid visits can occur.
- Can make unlimited unofficial visits; however,
not during the July evaluation period.
Senior year:
- Can receive recruiting materials.
- You or your daughter can make calls to the
college coach at your own expense. - Coaches can begin calling you or your daughter
twice per week beginning August 1. Unlimited calls the day after your
daughter signs an NLI, written offer of admission and/or financial aid; OR the
day after the college receives a financial aid deposit from your daughter. - Off-campus contact allowed beginning September
16 in designated contact periods. - Can make unlimited unofficial visits. Official paid visits can begin opening day of classes your
daughter’s senior year. Limited to one official visit per college and a
maximum of five official paid visits to Division I and II colleges. - A college coach may not have in-person contact
with you or your daughter off the college’s campus more than three times during
her senior year.
[1] For
requirements for Division II and III institutions please go to www.eligibiltycenter.org.
[2] Additional information regarding NCAA amateurism rules is available on the NCAA Eligibility
Center’s website by logging on to the NCAA College-Bound Student-Athlete section
at www.eligibiltycenter.org, then clicking on the “Resources” tab at the top of
the page.
NOTICE: The information contained in this document is
provided as a service to parents/legal guardians of college-bound women’s
basketball student-athletes and does not constitute binding advice on compliance
with NCAA rules and bylaws. The NCAA makes no claims, promises or
guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information
contained in this document. This document is current as of October 7,
2011.
