New NCAA rules put freshmen and sophomores in recruiting crosshairs for college coaches

The day has arrived when the NCAA has actually loosened rather than tightened recruiting rules. The intentions now are to actually deregulate recruiting by allowing earlier and more communications between DI and DII coaches and prospects. The movement is spearheaded by none other than NCAA president Mark Emmert.

It is now permissible for all DII coaches and DI men’s basketball coaches to make personal contact with prep athletes on June 1 following their sophomore year, a full year earlier than previously allowed. This means that sophomores and freshmen alike are now clearly in the crosshairs of NCAA coaches wanting to get a jump start in developing relationships with athletes. This has always been permitted in the NAIA, but for the NCAA to take this bold step is groundbreaking to say the least. Add on that coaches will be less restricted in the methods by which they can reach recruits in terms of texts and emails and recruiting is opening up for tons of young athletes. And, as they say, this is just the tip of the iceberg. More legislation is anticipated which will give further leeway to coaches, including opening up the initial contact dates to all post-sophomore recruits, but a cautionary note: that has not as yet gone into effect.

Freshmen and sophomores should be taking this seriously and along with their parents reconsidering their options. It is no longer smart to wait to get involved in the recruiting process. In fact, the earlier the better. College coaches are human and they love to recruit candidates that they trust will represent them well athletically, academically and socially. The best way to insure this is to track athletes throughout their high school careers.

But, socially? Yes. Coaches are aware today that character plays a major role in how a prospect deals with social issues outside the lines, so to speak. They are scrutinizing the personal histories of prospects closer than ever. Malcontents and problem athletes are no longer getting a free pass. Coaches dread waking up and seeing one of their athlete’s mug shot plastered across a Web site for having done or said something, well, stupid. Social media has also brought with it an inside perspective of an athlete’s activities, attitudes and friends. That makes it essential that not only do prospects take their sport and academics seriously, but that they steer clear of trouble in school and in their communities and that they carefully construct a positive image via Facebook and other social media outlets.

Prospects that can consistently demonstrate that they are trustworthy in all these key areas have the very best shot at getting offers from college coaches. A thrown bat here, an after-school detention punishment there, or something as seemingly innocent as being chronically late to practice and a damaging social media post can alone eliminate a prospect from consideration and cause him or her to be erased from a coach’s white board.

Coaches are now following prospects longer. They want to see a resume filled with good things. And, when a prospect can get on their radar early, say as in as a freshman or sophomore, coaches get what they want which is a view of a prospect’s life over time, not just for a few months as was previously the case.