Freshman to senior year

Basketball recruiting timeline & contact rules

A plain-English summary, organized by grade so it works for any graduating class. Rules checked Oct 20, 2026. Rules change, so confirm details on the linked sources and with each school's compliance office.

You can reach out anytime

These limits are on coaches contacting you, not on you contacting them. At any grade you can email coaches, send video, fill out questionnaires and go to camps. In D1 basketball you can also call a coach at any time, and if the coach picks up, you can talk. Before the start date the coach just can't call or text you back.

NCAA Division I men's basketball

  • Before June 15 after sophomore year: coaches can send only questionnaires, camp brochures, NCAA educational material and general (non-athletics) school information. They can't call, text, email or DM you or return your messages.
  • Starting June 15 after sophomore year: coaches may call, text, email and send private messages at their discretion, and send recruiting materials.
  • Unofficial visits (you pay, but coaches or athletics staff are involved): in April 2026 Division I adopted a rule letting men's basketball recruits take them at any time, subject to the recruiting calendar. They used to start Aug. 1 of sophomore year. No unofficial visits during a dead period, and none in July unless you've signed with that school.
  • Official visits (school pays): NCAA's men's basketball guide says they can begin Aug. 1 of junior year. One official visit per school before Oct. 15 after you finish high school; there's no longer a cap on how many schools you can officially visit.
  • Off-campus contact: only during recruiting periods on the calendar, and not during school hours or on a day you compete. NCAA's guide says coaches get seven in-person, off-campus opportunities (contacts and evaluations combined) per recruit per year.

NCAA Division I women's basketball

  • Calls, texts, emails and DMs from coaches: school compliance offices and recruiting services list June 1 after sophomore year as the start date for women's basketball (two weeks earlier than most sports). (not confirmed on an official NCAA/NAIA/NJCAA page; confirm with the school)
  • Unofficial visits: allowed at any grade, except during dead periods and the July evaluation periods (unless you've signed with that school).
  • Official visits: not before Jan. 1 of junior year (NCAA Bylaw 13.6.2.1.4), and not during the July evaluation periods unless you've signed.
  • Off-campus, in-person contact: on the 2026-27 calendar, contact periods (September and March) are for seniors and two-year college players only. For everyone else those months are evaluation periods, meaning coaches can watch you play but not talk to you off campus.

Division II, Division III, NAIA and JUCO (men's and women's)

  • D2: recruiting materials may be sent anytime. Calls, texts, in-person off-campus contact and official visits can begin June 15 before junior year. D2 basketball also follows a recruiting calendar with dead periods.
  • D3: coaches may call, write and message you anytime. In-person, off-campus contact is allowed once you've completed sophomore year, and official visits can begin Jan. 1 of junior year.
  • NAIA: no grade-based limits on when coaches can contact you or when you can visit. Register with the NAIA Eligibility Center.
  • JUCO (NJCAA): no recruiting calendar. A school-paid visit requires you to have finished junior year.

Grade by grade

  • Freshman year: make your high school team the priority, take the right core classes (see GPA & academics), and start a target list in the directory. Fill out questionnaires. Boys and girls can both take unofficial visits now.
  • Sophomore year: email coaches with a highlight link and your schedule. Create a free NCAA Eligibility Center Profile Page; you also need one to play in NCAA-certified summer events (see Live periods & AAU). D3 and NAIA coaches can reply now.
  • Summer after sophomore year: D1 women's coaches can start calling and texting June 1, and D1 men's and D2 coaches June 15. This is the first summer of certified events where your contact date has passed.
  • Junior year: D1 men's official visits can begin Aug. 1, and D1 women's and D3 official visits Jan. 1. Upgrade to an Eligibility Center Certification Account before any D1 or D2 official visit. The spring and July live periods matter most for most players.
  • Senior year: a D1 school can't give you a written offer of athletics aid before Aug. 1 of senior year. Basketball's early signing period starts the second Wednesday in November (Nov. 11, 2026), and the regular period opens the Wednesday one week after the NCAA championship games in April. See Scholarships & offers.

2026-27 D1 men's basketball calendar (key dates)

  • Recruiting period (off-campus contact and evaluations of scholastic games): Sept. 9, 2026 to April 30, 2027, except dead periods Nov. 9-12, Dec. 24-26 and April 1-8.
  • Quiet periods: Aug. 20-Sept. 8, 2026, and May 1-June 30, 2027 (except listed dates).
  • Evaluation periods (live periods): May 14-16, 2027 for NCAA-certified nonscholastic events; June 11-13 and June 25-27, 2027 for approved scholastic (high school team) events; July 8-11 and July 15-18, 2027 for certified events and college camps. July is otherwise a dead period.
  • Separate dates are listed as to be determined for the NBA G League Combine, the NBA Draft Combine and the NBPA Top 100 Camp.

2026-27 D1 women's basketball calendar (key dates)

  • Evaluation of scholastic activities: Oct. 1, 2026 to Feb. 28, 2027 (dead period Dec. 24-26). September and March are contact periods for seniors and two-year college players only.
  • Dead period: April 1-5, 2027. Recruiting shutdowns (no recruiting at all): Aug. 10-16, 2026 and May 3-9, 2027.
  • Evaluation periods (live periods): April 23-25 and May 14-16, 2027 for certified nonscholastic events; June 17 (noon) to June 19 (6 p.m.), 2027 for approved scholastic events; July 9-12 and July 23-26, 2027.

Transfers compete for your spot

  • College players can transfer during the Division I windows: for 2027, April 6-20 for men's basketball and April 5-19 for women's basketball. See Transfer portal.
  • D1 basketball rosters are capped at 15 at schools in the House settlement. Keep D2, D3, NAIA and JUCO on your list too.

Sources (checked Oct 20, 2026)