The prospective student-athlete is considered to be a prospect until he or she begins classes at the institution or reports for a regular squad practice prior to the start of classes. There may be times when a faculty or staff member either volunteers or is asked to become involved in the recruitment of a prospective student-athlete. Below is an explanation of the activities that the NCAA permits a faculty or staff member to engage in and those that the NCAA prohibits. In order to be able to comply with these regulations fully, it is necessary first of all for the faculty or staff member to understand the terms used by the NCAA to delineate its recruiting rules. The term university staff member refers to anyone employed by the university.
Regulations applying specifically to faculty members use the term faculty.
Prospective student-athletes may come to the campus on either an official visit or an unofficial visit. An official visit is one financed in whole or in part by the university while an unofficial visit takes place at the prospect s own expense. University staff members may write prospects but may not include any information regarding athletics or provide any athletics recruiting materials until September 1 at the beginning of the prospect s junior year in high school. These calls must comply with recruiting rules mandated by the NCAA, so any staff member making such a call should confer with the coach to make sure that all applicable NCAA rules are being followed. If a prospective student-athlete initiates a call to a university staff member, the staff member may speak to the prospect as long as the conversation does not relate to athletics recruiting.