College football recruiting calendar: Key dates for NCAA cycle

What you need to know about the phases of the college football recruiting calendar

The college football recruiting process never ends. 

But schools and coaches have to abide by the official calendar set by the NCAA that confines them to certain activities at certain times.

Let's take a look at the different periods on the NCAA college football recruiting calendar.

College football recruiting calendar: What you need to know

Contact Period

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The NCAA contact period is what is sounds like. 

Coaches and college football recruits have full communication privileges and can speak to each other in any capacity. Coaches can call, text, email, and message athletes and their parents by any method approved by the NCAA.

Rules allow for in-person contact on college campuses, at tournaments, and at the recruit's home and high school. 

Coaches can have one in-person meeting with each recruit per week. But he can't visit a school more than once a week if there are multiple prospects there.

Evaluation Period

This is when college football coaches can watch a recruit compete in person or visit their school. But contact is severely limited. 

Coaches cannot speak directly with prospects or their parents off the college campus, but can watch athletes from the stands during a game or practice, and visit the school. 

They can also talk to the players' coaches, teachers, or other supervisors to discuss the recruit.

Coaches can email the recruit after their visit and discuss their experience. They can also email, message, and text recruits during this period, but not in person.

Quiet Period

This is the point where the NCAA gives recruits a break from college football coaches getting in touch with them. 

The NCAA defines quiet period as when "a college coach may not have face-to-face contact with college-bound student-athletes or their parents off the college campus, and may not watch student-athletes compete or visit their high school."

Recruits and coaches cannot speak anywhere outside the college campus. But coaches try to get players to unofficially visit their campus during this period, to get acclimated with the school.

Dead Period

This is the most restrictive time on the college football recruiting calendar. 

The NCAA does not allow any in-person contact between coaches and players. Not on campus, at high schools, at athletic camps, or literally anywhere in the world. But it still allows electronic and written communication.

In reality, most future college football players don't need that communication at this point in the process. Most of them have made their visits, contacts, and final decisions on where to play.

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