NCAA extends recruiting dead period for eighth time.
The ban on in-person recruiting continues with a new expiration date circled in pencil.
The NCAA Division I Council on Wednesday announced the recruiting dead period for all Division I sports was extended through at least May 31 due to the pandemic. The dead period was most recently set to expire on April 15 and that’s the same date the NCAA on Wednesday said it plans on providing clarity on a return to recruiting calendars.
“After careful consideration of all available information, the Council agreed that an extension of the dead period through May 31 was necessary,” Division I Council chair and Pennsylvania athletic director M. Grace Calhoun said in a press release. “However, there is a strong commitment to use the next several weeks to outline the transition plan back to recruiting activities post June 1 and to provide those plans to prospective student-athletes, their families and the NCAA membership no later than April 15.”
Since initially enacting the dead period on March 13, 2020, this is the eighth time the NCAA has extended it. The dead period prevents all in-person recruiting by coaches, both on and off campus. That means coaches can’t go on the road to evaluate players and recruits can’t take official visits to campus.
Coaches remain limited to phone calls, texts and video conferences with recruits until the ban ends.
Due to the dead period, many 2021 football recruits who signed in December and earlier this month did so with ever visiting their school.
In addition to the latest extension of the dead period, the NCAA on Wednesday also approved a blanket waiver, effective Feb. 22, for football teams to increase their offseason countable activities from eight to 10 hours a week. That includes up to six hours of physical activities like strength and conditioning and up to four hours of meetings, film study and walk-throughs, with a limit of two hours of walk-throughs.
