Key Terms To Know

Contact: Any time a college coach says more than "Hello" while face-to-face with you or your family off the college's campus.

Dead Period: A period of time when a college coach is not permitted to make in-person recruiting contacts or evaluations on or off the college campus.

Evaluation: When a college coach observes you practicing or competing.

Financial aid: Any money you receive from a college or another source, such as outside loans or grants. Financial aid may be based on athletic ability, financial need, scholarships or academic achievement. 

Official Commitment: Occurs when you sign a National Letter of Intent, agreeing to attend a Division I or II school, for one academic year.

Official Visit: Any visit to a college campus paid for by the NCAA school you're visiting.

Recruited: When a college coach contacts you off campus. pays your expenses to visit the campus, or in Division I or II issues you a National Letter of Intent or a written offer of financial aid.

Recruiting Calendar: The NCAA Division I and II recruiting calendars are meant to promote your well-being and ensure fairness among schools by defining certain periods during the year in which recruiting may or may not occur.

Unofficial Visit: Any visit to a college campus paid for by you or your family.

Verbal Commitment: When you verbally agree to play sports for a college before you sign or are eligible to sign a National Letter of Intent. The commitment is not binding on you or the school.

Walk-On: Someone who is not typically recruited by a school to participate in sports and does not receive a scholarship from the school but who becomes a member of one of the school's athletic teams.