Breakdown: NCAA Changes – Official Visits, Certified Events, Recruiting Calendar
On Wednesday, the NCAA released their changes to their rules. In reality, it is a sweeping reform that touches a lot of different areas but really might not effect as much as they might have intended. Some of these are for the better, most are not or ineffective.
With a lot of these geared towards high school and entry level to college, we decided to take a massive look at these new rules and regulations and give our take on what to expect and if there is any real backing for them in this multi-part series.
The rules listed below are as stated in the press release from the NCAA.
Increased Amount of Official Visits
New Rule: Basketball student-athletes can make more frequent campus visits paid for by colleges (referred to as official visits), which can begin as soon as Aug. 1 the summer before their junior year in high school. They can take:
- Five visits between Aug. 1 and the end of their junior year of high school.
- Five visits between the end of their junior year and Oct. 15 after high school graduation.
- Five visits between Oct. 15 after high school graduation and the remainder of their college eligibility.
A student-athlete can visit a school only once per year. Unofficial visits — those made at his or her own expense — cannot begin before Aug. 1 of the student’s sophomore year of high school.
Schools now can pay for 28 official visits for recruits (34 for national service academies) over a rolling, two-year period. – NCAA
What It Means: This is a big chance and by the word around the coaching circle, one that not many wanted. The idea is to make things a little easier on recruits to get acquainted with colleges, some outside of their area. However, 15 is a very large number. Now, you can only do five at a time for certain parts of the year but essentially you could do one every other month from August of your Junior year until you graduate. Don’t think parents and players won’t take advantage of this. The question is, how much does it help. I’m all for having as much information as possible but the reality is 15 is too many and a major jump from five.
I think what ultimately happens is this gets paired down because coaches will find this as much more of a burden than anything else. While it does help with the relationship and comfort between a player and college programs, low-major and mid-major programs that don’t have a solid financial backing are going to struggle to accommodate all of these visits. Which, is helping to create a much more defined line between low, mid, and high major programs built not as much around success and more around financial status, facilities, and coaching.
Certification Of Events
New Rule: Basketball-related events for high school students will be subject to more rigorous certification requirements to ensure transparency in operations and finances. This will address issues of corruption and help support student-athletes as they make decisions about their future. The certification criteria will be overseen by the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Oversight Committee, and the NCAA Enforcement Certification and Approvals Group will administer the certification program. – NCAA
What It Means: Basically, this is not going to be that big of a change. The idea I think is to limit entities who are unqualified or breaking rules regarding financial regulations from hosting AAU events. In reality, I would think the NCAA doesn’t have enough man-power to do it correctly. They can ask for more things but cheating will occur so long as their are rules and regulations impairing people from making money. Without a real ability to have knowledge and man power, this will likely stop those event operators who aren’t competent enough from running events while clearing the field for those that know how to work the system. Not sure it changes much for players and parents who have been out in July before.
Recruiting Calendar
New Rule: The recruiting calendar, which creates more restrictions around events not sponsored by high schools, will allow coaches to attend additional high school-sponsored events. The new rules add four-day recruiting periods (Monday through Thursday) in April but do not increase the limit on days individual coaches can recruit. Also, coaches will be allowed to attend and evaluate recruits at the in mid-June. Additionally, coaches will be able to attend events during the last two weekends of June if the events are approved by the National Federation of State High School Associations; organized by groups affiliated with high schools or high school coaching associations; and occur at middle schools, high schools or colleges. Coaches also can attend one weekend youth basketball event in early July. The calendar also allows coaches to attend NCAA youth development camps in late July, a new collaboration between the NCAA, USA Basketball, the NBA and the NBPA. – NCAA
What It Means: This is the big boy in regards to effecting high school prospects. The recruiting calendar as you know it is gone. They have kept some things in place but the best way to explain it is you know have one live period in the Spring instead of two, and one weekend in July instead of three. Now, you will get two new live periods in the month of June. However, those will now be run by the IHSAA, IBCA, or an organization that gets clearance from one of the two listed above. You will also have the opportunity to attend an Elite Camp hosted by the NCAA at one of four regional sites. However, those players will be determined somehow based on their ability to be a DI prospect as they look to invite as many as 2,500 prospects to their four regional camps. Opportunities will be more limited if you are trying to get a DI offer because less time will be spent on the road and less prospects will be seen. It will be an adjustment but this is the new world order.