2024–25 NCAA Men’s Track and Field Recruiting Rules and Calendar

When can colleges start recruiting for men’s track and field programs? The NCAA track and field recruiting rules dictate when and how college coaches can contact potential recruits. Their goal in creating these rules was to make sure elite recruits didn’t get overwhelmed by constant contact from coaches, but it can also make it tough for track and field families to know when to expect contact from college coaches. 

For NCAA D1 and D2 coaches, almost all contact is off-limits until June 15 after a recruit’s sophomore year in high school. On the other hand, college coaches at the D3, NAIA and NJCAA (junior college) levels don’t have the same restrictions on when they can reach out to recruits – they’re allowed to reach out to recruits showing interest in their schools at any point in time. In this section, we outline the NCAA track and field recruiting rules and calendar, as well as the rules and calendar for the NAIA, to help you navigate your track and field recruiting process.

READ MORE: NCAA’s new rules will grant student-athletes the opportunity to earn money from their name, image and likeness (NIL).

What you need to know about the NCAA track and field recruiting rules

Families can use the NCAA track and field recruiting rules and NCAA track and field recruiting calendar to make sure they’re on track throughout the recruiting process. For example, if it’s June 15 after an athlete’s sophomore year of high school, they can begin to receive emails, texts and DMs from D1, D2, D3 and NAIA coaches. If track and field athletes don’t start receiving these types of messages from college coaches after that point, it becomes more important than ever for them to be proactive and reach out to coaches to get on their radar!

The recruiting calendar is also a good way for athletes and their coaches to organize their recruiting efforts for the year. For example, if an athlete is a senior in high school during a contact period, they should arrange campus visits and maximize coach contact during this time. The NCAA outlines specific time periods each year for when D1 and D2 coaches can contact potential recruits, and which days are off limits from actively recruiting. Remember: D3, NAIA and NJCAA coaches aren’t restricted to these rules and guidelines. 

One of the goals in putting these rules and guidelines in place was to ensure recruits could complete their coursework for graduation and enjoy their own personal time while not being overwhelmed by constant contact from college recruiters during the recruitment process. Both the NCAA track and field recruiting rules and calendar provide a good framework for when coaches can contact recruits and vice versa, while also making an effort to provide men’s track and field athletes with a similar timeline to their non-athlete student counterparts during the process of identifying and evaluating potential colleges.

NCAA track and field recruiting rules

In 2019 the NCAA approved new guidelines for its track and field recruiting rules and calendar that changed the way D1 college coaches can recruit men’s track and field athletes. These new rules put limits on the communication between a recruit and a college coach before the end of their sophomore year of high school. 

While these rules are designed to stop the growth of early recruiting and give student-athletes the opportunity to make a more informed decision on their college of choice, they also significantly speed up the recruiting timeline for men’s track and field. In a 2017 NCAA study, athletes reported having a recruiting conversation with a college coach before their junior year of high school. Now, D1 college coaches can reach out to potential recruits starting June 15 after an athlete’s sophomore year—which means the recruiting process could actually begin to speed up in men’s track and field. 

Here is a breakdown of the new recruiting rules and their impact on the NCAA D1 track and field recruiting calendar:

• Coach Communication: No communication between a student-athlete or parent/guardian and a D1 college coach is allowed until June 15 after an athlete’s sophomore year. This includes any phone calls, texts, emails and social messages, like Twitter DMs. Previously, college coaches could discuss recruiting with freshmen or sophomores if an athlete called a coach and the coach answered or if a recruit visited them on an unofficial visit.
• Recruiting Conversations: Coaches are not allowed to have any kind of recruiting conversations with track and field recruits, their parents/guardians or the athlete’s club or high school coach until June 15 after the athlete’s sophomore year. This means they can’t make verbal offers or hint at a potential scholarship. The only conversation a college coach can have regarding freshman and sophomore prospects is if asked by the club/high school coach if they (the coach) are recruiting the prospect, the college coach can reply “yes” or “no.”
• Official Visits: Recruits can now take official visits to college campuses starting August 1 of their junior year. Official visits include any visit to a college campus in which part or all of the visit – transportation, accommodations and meals, tickets to a home sports event – are paid for by the school’s athletic department. Previously, track and field athletes had to wait until September 1 of their junior year.
• Unofficial Visits: Before the new rules, recruits were allowed to make unofficial visits and meet with a coach anytime they wanted. Now, recruits must wait until August 1 of their junior year (same as official visits). Unofficial visits are financed entirely by a recruit’s family and serve as a great way for men’s track and field athletes to get a feel for different college campuses, meet with the head track and field coach and potentially receive an early verbal scholarship offer. Recruits can still visit campuses but will not be allowed to meet with a coach or discuss recruiting until the beginning of their junior year.
• Off Campus Contact: Off-campus contact, such as at an athlete’s high school track meet or a recruiting event, is also prohibited before August 1 of the athlete’s junior year. Previously, coaches could talk to underclassmen attending camps and clinics on their campus about the recruiting process and whether they were interested in their track and field programs.
  

When can track and field coaches contact recruits? 

The NCAA D1 track and field recruiting calendar allows D1 college coaches to start contacting recruits June 15 after a recruit’s sophomore year. This includes phone calls, emails, texts, social media DMs, and printed athletic institutional publications. However, coaches at all division levels, including D1 can send general information about the school or requests to complete a recruiting questionnaire at any time. If a track and field athlete receives one or more of these types of non-recruiting materials, it can mean that the coach has noticed them and may be interested in recruiting them. 

The NCAA recruiting rules for D2 schools are slightly more relaxed than those at the D1 level. Like at the D1 level, coaches cannot send athletes private/electronic correspondence, call potential recruits, or have any form of off-campus contact, including official visits, until June 15 after sophomore year. However, athletes can go on an unlimited number of unofficial visits and make phone calls to college coaches (at their own expense) at any time—even during their freshman or sophomore year 

The NCAA recruiting rules for D3 men’s track and field are even more lax—in short, there are almost no rules. Coaches can contact potential recruits at any time, and vice versa. The only restrictions are on off-campus contact—allowed immediately after your sophomore year—and official visits, which are permitted beginning January 1 of your junior year in high school. 

There are virtually no restrictions at the NAIA level. Coaches can contact recruits freely, and the NAIA does not regulate when or how often recruits communicate with college coaches. 

NCAA Division 1 men’s track and field recruiting rules

The NCAA D1 track and field recruiting rules and calendar outline when prospective student-athletes can receive certain forms of communication from college track and field coaches based on their year in high school.

• Any time: Athletes can receive general camp brochures, recruiting questionnaires and non-athletic recruiting publications.
• June 15 after sophomore year: Coaches can begin sending recruits all forms of private electronic correspondence, including phone calls, text messages, emails, social media DMs and instant messages. All other recruiting materials are also permitted at this time, including athletic institutional publications. Coaches can also initiate recruiting conversations—including extending verbal offers—with recruits during camps and clinics on this date.
• August 1 before junior year: College track and field coaches can start off-campus contact with recruits at their home and school. Athletes may also begin taking unofficial and official visits to their schools of choice.

NCAA Division 2 men’s track and field recruiting rules 

The NCAA D2 track and field recruiting rules and calendar are not as strict as they are at the D1 level, but they do share some similarities. Most types of communication are allowed starting June 15 before a recruit’s junior year of high school.

• Any time: Track and field athletes are allowed to take unofficial visits to D2 schools at any time before the timeline of official contact begins. Athletes can also receive general camp brochures, recruiting questionnaires and non-athletic recruiting publications as allowed at the D1 level.
• June 15 before junior year: College coaches can begin sending recruits all forms of private electronic correspondence, including phone calls, text messages, emails, social media DMs and instant messages. All other recruiting materials are also permitted at this time, including athletic institutional publications. Athletes may begin taking official campus visits, while coaches are also allowed off-campus contact with recruits beginning on this date.

NCAA Division 3 men’s track and field recruiting rules 

The NCAA track and field recruiting rules and calendar at the D3 level are the most relaxed among all NCAA divisions. While there are very few restrictions around coach communication and off-campus contact, D3 college coaches tend to start their recruiting during the end of an athlete’s junior year and continue for the duration of their senior year—it’s not uncommon to see coaches recruiting athletes well into the spring of their final year of high school.

• Recruiting materials: Athletes can receive recruiting materials, including questionnaires and other printed recruiting publications, at any time.
• Electronic communication: Coaches are permitted to contact recruits using all forms of private electronic communications at any time, including phone calls, text messages, emails, social media DMs and instant messages.
• Unofficial visits: Athletes can take unofficial visits to their schools of interest at any time.
• Official visits: D3 schools can host prospective student-athletes beginning January 1 of their junior year.
• Off-campus contact: Coaches can conduct off-campus contact with recruits at their home or high school immediately following the end of an athlete’s sophomore year.

NAIA men’s track and field recruiting rules 

Unlike their NCAA counterparts, NAIA track and field coaches can contact prospective student-athletes, including freshmen and sophomores, at any time. College coaches at the NAIA level also don’t have to follow the NCAA track and field recruiting rules at any division level, which allows them to actively recruit student-athletes throughout the year. If you’re interested in an NAIA school, you can reach out to the coach right away, even as an underclassman. 

However, it’s important to note that like college coaches at the NCAA D3 level, NAIA coaches also tend to start their recruiting after those at the D1 and D2 levels, which, with the addition of the new recruiting rules for D1 programs, will also speed up their recruiting timelines. They generally recruit well into a track and field athlete’s senior year, too. 

2024–2025 NCAA Division 1 men’s track and field recruiting calendar 

Dead periods: Coaches are not allowed to make any in-person contact with recruits or their parents at any time. This includes talking to recruits at their college campus, the athlete’s school, an athletic camp, a meet or other athletic competition or anywhere else where a coach and prospective recruit might come in contact. Coaches can communicate via all digital communication channels. 

• November 11-14, 2024 (This includes the 48 hours before and 24 hours following National Signing Day)
• November 23, 2024 (This is the date of the NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships)
• December 9, 2024 – January 1, 2025
• March 14-15, 2025 (These are the two days of the NCAA Division 1 Indoor Track & Field Championships)
• June 11-14, 2025

Contact periods: All communication is permitted between a D1 coach and a prospective student-athlete during the contact period. Coaches can also watch you compete and have face-to-face contact with you or your parents at a track meet or other competition, at your school and in your home.

• August 22 – December 8, 2024 (except Nov. 11-14 and Nov. 23, 2024)
• January 2 – July 31, 2025 (except March 14-15 and June 11-14, 2025) 

Evaluation periods: Coaches can watch you compete in person or visit your school to talk with coaches, teachers or guidance counselors. They can contact you or your parents via phone call or email but cannot have off-campus face-to-face contact.

• Aug. 1-21, 2024

2024–2025 NCAA Division 2 men’s track and field recruiting calendar 

Except for the dates listed below, treat everything else like a contact period.

Dead periods: Coaches are not allowed to make any in-person contact with recruits or their parents at any time. This includes talking to recruits at their college campus, the athlete’s school, an athletic camp, a meet or other athletic competition or anywhere else where a coach and prospective recruit might come in contact. Coaches can communicate via all digital communication channels.

• July 22-28, 2024, the Monday before the National Wrestling Coaches Association Convention through the day of adjournment of the convention. 
• November 11 (7 a.m.) – 13 (7 a.m.), 2024 (during the 48 hours prior to 7 a.m. on the initial date for the signing of the NCAA financial aid agreement)

2024–2025 NCAA Division 3 and NAIA men’s track and field recruiting calendar

There are no designated dead periods on the NCAA track and field recruiting calendar for D3 or NAIA schools. The contact period is effectively year-round for track and field coaches at this level.