Campus visits

Official & Unofficial Visits

What to know before you visit a college campus. Rules checked Oct 27, 2026. Rules change, so confirm details on the linked sources and with each school's compliance office. This is general guidance, not legal or eligibility advice.

Official vs. unofficial

  • Official visit: paid for in whole or in part by the college.
  • Unofficial visit: paid for by your family. College camps are not visits, but you're on campus.

When D1 visits can happen

  • Official and athletics-involved unofficial visits from Aug. 1 before junior year (Bylaws 13.6.2.1.1 and 13.7.1.1).
  • Never during a dead period (see the timeline).

D1 official visits: how many, how long, who pays

  • How many: no limit on the number of schools, but one official visit to each school.
  • How long: up to two nights of lodging.
  • Who pays: round-trip transportation and travel meals and lodging for you and up to two family members; on campus, meals, lodging, entertainment and home-event tickets for you and up to four family members.

D2, D3, NAIA and JUCO

  • D2: official visits from June 15 before junior year, outside dead periods. One per school.
  • D3: official visits from Jan. 1 of junior year.
  • NAIA: no grade-based limits.
  • NJCAA: from June 1 before junior year; one official visit per recruiting year, up to 48 hours.

Before a D1 or D2 official visit

  • Register with the NCAA Eligibility Center (a Certification Account, not just a free Profile Page).
  • Send the school a copy of your high school transcript.

Sources (checked Oct 27, 2026)

← All track & field recruiting guides