Freshman to senior year

Football 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 Hudl film, fill out questionnaires, go to camps and take unofficial visits (outside dead periods). In Division I you can also call a coach at any time, and if the coach picks up, you can talk.

NCAA Division I football (FBS and FCS)

  • Before June 15 after sophomore year: coaches can send only questionnaires, camp brochures, NCAA educational material and general (non-athletics) school information.
  • Starting June 15 after sophomore year: coaches can call, text, email and DM you and send recruiting materials. There's no limit on the number of calls. (This replaced the old Sept. 1 of junior year date in 2023.)
  • Off-campus, in-person contact: not before Jan. 1 of junior year, and only during contact periods. A school gets eight off-campus contacts with you and your family across junior and senior years combined, no more than one a week. Junior-year contacts can happen only at your high school: up to two in the January contact period and one in the spring contact period. The head coach gets one off-campus contact in your junior year and one in your senior year.
  • Unofficial visits (you pay): allowed at any grade, except during dead periods.
  • Official visits (school pays): football has a junior-year window from April 1 through the Sunday before the last Wednesday in June, and the visit can't be combined with a camp. NCAA's football guide also allows official visits in senior year (from Sept. 1, plus around August home games). Since 2023 there's no cap on how many schools you visit, but only one official visit per school (a second if the head coach changes).
  • Written offers: a school can't give you a written offer of athletics aid (or a settlement benefits agreement) before Nov. 15 of your senior year.

2026-27 Division I calendar (published dates)

  • FBS and FCS, August 2026: dead period, except a quiet period from 48 hours before through 48 hours after a home game in August or on Sept. 1-2.
  • FBS and FCS, Sept. 1 to Nov. 29, 2026: evaluation period. Each school picks 33 evaluation days (42 for service academies). Coaches can watch you play or practice but can't talk to you off campus.
  • FBS: dead period Nov. 30 to Dec. 31, 2026, so no in-person recruiting during the December early signing period.
  • FCS: dead period Nov. 30 to Dec. 3, contact period Dec. 4-18, quiet period through Dec. 20, and dead period Dec. 21-31, 2026.
  • January to July 2027: the NCAA's 2026-27 calendars (updated July 30, 2026) list only the fall. In 2025-26 the FBS pattern was a January contact period, a February dead period, a spring quiet period, a spring contact period from April 15 to late May, a quiet period in early June (camps and visits), and a dead period from late June through July. Check the NCAA calendar for the official 2027 dates before you plan.

Division II, Division III, NAIA and JUCO

  • D2: under the 2026-27 guide, recruiting materials and communication (calls, texts, email, DMs) are allowed at any time. In-person, off-campus contact and official visits can begin June 15 before junior year. D2 football players sign in the regular period starting Feb. 3, 2027 (two-year college transfers from Dec. 2, 2026).
  • 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. No athletic scholarships.
  • NAIA: no grade-based limits on contact or visits. NAIA schools may hold tryouts of up to two days if their school allows it. Register with the NAIA Eligibility Center.
  • JUCO (NJCAA and California 3C2A): no NCAA-style recruiting calendar. Junior college football is a common route to four-year schools; see JUCO & prep.

Grade by grade

  • Freshman year: make your high school team, get in the weight room and take the right core classes (see GPA & academics). Start a target list in the directory, fill out questionnaires and start saving game film on Hudl.
  • Sophomore year: build a highlight reel from varsity or JV film, email coaches with your Hudl link, and go to a few college camps where you could realistically play. Create a free NCAA Eligibility Center Profile Page. D3 and NAIA coaches can reply now; D2 coaches can message you too.
  • June 15 after sophomore year: D1 coaches (FBS and FCS) can start calling, texting and messaging you. Summer camps and junior days are where many first offers come from.
  • Junior year: fall film is the most important film most players will have. D1 coaches can make off-campus contact at your school starting Jan. 1. Upgrade to an Eligibility Center Certification Account and take the SAT/ACT if your target schools want it. D1 official visits open April 1 through late June.
  • Senior year: keep coaches updated with senior film. D1 written offers can come starting Nov. 15. The D1 early signing period is Dec. 2-4, 2026, and the regular period opens Feb. 3, 2027 for D1 and D2. See Scholarships, offers & signing.

Transfers compete for your spot

  • College players can enter the D1 transfer portal during one window: Jan. 4-13, 2027 for both FBS and FCS. See Transfer portal.
  • At schools in the House settlement, D1 football rosters are capped at 105. Keep FCS, D2, D3, NAIA and JUCO on your list too.

Sources (checked Oct 20, 2026)