What Is the NCAA Quiet Period?

The NCAA defines the quiet period as a time when “a college coach may not have face-to-face contact with college-bound student-athletes or their parents off the college campus and may not watch student-athletes compete or visit their high school.” To break it down, the NCAA Quiet Period is a time you can talk to college coaches in-person on their college campus. However, the coach is not allowed to watch athletes compete in-person, visit their school, talk to them at their home—or talk to them anywhere outside of the college campus.

The goal of this period is to give elite recruits a break from getting visited by college coaches at their games and at their home. For average recruits, this time will feel like a contact period. You can still text, call, email or direct message coaches during this time—and you should be reaching out to stay proactive in your recruiting.

The quiet period is a specific recruiting period in the NCAA calendar for Division I and Division II sports to regulate when and how coaches can contact athletes throughout the year. While it’s up to the coaches to comply with the NCAA calendar, it’s important for athletes to know the different recruiting periods on the calendar so they develop realistic expectations of the type of recruiting that will take place throughout the year.

For a quick recap on the topic, check out this video of former college coach Danny Koenig discussing what a quiet period is.

Recruiting tips for the NCAA Quiet Period

Even though coaches can’t visit prospects during the quiet period, recruiting is still happening. Many recruits choose to take unofficial visits during this time. Since the coach can’t come to them, they go to the coach. Unofficial visits give recruits the chance to tour a college campus, meet with the coach, see the athletic facilities and experience the campus culture. Because coaches are still able to text, call and email recruits during this time, it’s easy to set up a visit.

If you’re an elite recruit who’s feeling a little run down after a few months of coach visits, you can take this time to catch your breath and figure out which schools you’re most interested in. Create a list of your top schools with pros and cons for each one. If you have any lingering questions about a program, you can still send those questions to the coach during the quiet period.

When is the NCAA Quiet Period?

Division I Football FBS

• December 8-21, 2025
• December 31–January 4, 2026
• January 11, 2026
• February 1, 2026
• March 2 – April 14, 2026
• May 28 – June 22, 2026

Division I Football FCS

• Forty-eight hours before a home contest (on the institution’s campus or in a facility normally used for its home games) that occurs in August or on Sept. 1 or 2 through 48 hours after the conclusion of the contest.
• December 19-21, 2025
• December 31-January 4, 2026 – Quiet period for two- and four-year college transfer
• prospective student-athletes who intend to enroll midyear
• January 11, 2026
• February 1, 2026
• March 2 – April 14, 2026
• May 28 – July 31, 2026

Division I Baseball

• August 18 – September 11, 2025
• October 13, 2025 – February 28, 2026 except as noted below:
  • November 10–13, 2025
  • November 25 – 30, 2025
  • December 22–27, 2025
  • January 8–11, 2026

Division I Men’s Basketball

• August 1 – September 2, 2025
  • Except: August 4-20
• May 1, 2026 – June 30, 2026 (Exceptions below)
  • May 10
  • May 15-17
  • May 20-31
• July 27 through Aug. 31, 2026 (Exceptions Below)
  • Aug. 3-19

Division I Women’s Basketball

• August 1–31, 2025
  • Except August 11–17
• April 7 – July 31, 2026 (Exceptions below)
  • April 16 -20
  • May 4-10

Division I Men’s Golf

• December 1-22, 2025
  • Except: The first official day of the Golf Coaches Association of America National Convention until 12:01 a.m. on the day after the adjournment of the convention. Note: It is permissible for coaches to evaluate at two events (showcase and combine) that are traditionally held in conjunction with the Golf Coaches Association of America National Convention and may fall before or after the convention
    

Division I Men’s Lacrosse

• August 5–11, 2025
• December 1–23, 2025
  • Except December 10-14
• January 20–February 28, 2026

Division I Women’s Lacrosse

• August 15–27, 2025

Division I Women’s Volleyball

• August 1–31, 2025
• December 1 – January 15, 2026
  • Except: Coaches attending the American Volleyball Coaches Association annual awards banquet may have incidental contact with prospective collegiate student-athletes being honored at the banquet, provided no recruiting conversation occurs.
  • Dec. 18-Jan. 1, 2026: Thursday of the NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball
    Championship through the Sunday immediately following the championship. An institution’s authorized coaching staff members may evaluate on only one day and may
    attend only one event on that day during this period. Such an event shall occur within a 30-mile radius of the site of the championship. Coaches from the same institution who attend such an event shall attend the same event on the same day. Coaches shall not attend events that occur at the same time that any intercollegiate competition in conjunction with the NCAA championship occurs.
• March 2-5, 9-12, 16-19 and 23-26, 2026
• March 30-April 2, 2026
• April 6-9, 2026
• May 1-28, 2026

Division I Softball

• Nov. 24 through Jan. 2, 2026, except the dates below
  • November 26 – 30
  • December 10-13
  • December 22–26
  • December 31 – January 2

Division I Women’s Ice Hockey

• Monday prior to the American Hockey Coaches Association Convention through May 31, 2026

Division I Men’s Soccer

• December 23–25, 2025