2026-27 NCAA Recruiting Calendar and Recruiting Guide

The NCAA Recruiting Calendars help outline when Division 1 and Division 2 college coaches can reach out to student-athletes—but that doesn’t mean families should wait to start the recruiting process. Many begin as early as eighth grade, researching schools, understanding division levels, and reaching out to coaches. These calendars are designed to protect athletes and create a fair recruiting environment by setting limits on coach communication.

Keep reading to learn what each recruiting period means, how the rules vary by sport, and what steps athletes can take during each phase to stay on track.

READ MORE: A Parent’s Guide to Navigating Junior Year Recruiting

How to use the NCAA Recruiting Calendars

Use the recruiting calendar alongside the NCAA Recruiting Rules. The NCAA Recruiting Calendars show the specific recruiting time periods throughout the year when coaches can contact athletes—and when coaches aren’t allowed to contact athletes.

Watch NCSA volleyball recruiting coach, Heather Evans, explain the importance of June 15th in college recruiting in the video below:

Generally speaking, the most important dates on the calendar will be June 15 or September 1 (depending on your sport), going into the athlete’s junior year of high school. For most sports, this is when coaches can start reaching out to recruits.

Watch NCSA senior director of partner events, Jamie Duffeck, explains what makes September 1 an important date in recruiting:

The Different Recruiting Periods

To help manage the recruiting process, the NCAA breaks the year into specific recruiting periods: contact, evaluation, quiet, recruiting shutdown, and dead periods. Each one outlines what kind of communication and interaction is allowed between college coaches and student-athletes. Understanding the differences between these periods is key to knowing what to expect—and what actions athletes can take—throughout the year.

As you look through the NCAA Recruiting Calendar for your sport, keep an eye out for some of the particular days that stand out within each period.

For example, you may have a quiet period from September 1 through November 25, but within that time span, there will be a designated number of evaluation days in which coaches can assess either your athletic or academic qualifications in person.

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View Sport-Specific Recruiting Rules

Choose your sport from the dropdown to take a deeper dive into the recruiting rules and need to know dates for your sport.

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NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision Recruiting Calendar (Fall 2026)

• August 1–31, 2026: Dead period (Except for forty-eight hours before a home contest that occurs in August or on Sept. 1 or 2 through 48 hours after the conclusion of the contest, which is a quiet period)
• September 1 – November 28, 2026: Evaluation period (Thirty-three (42 for U.S. service academies) evaluation days during the fall evaluation period)
• November 30 – December 31, 2026: Dead period

View the full 2026-27 Football Bowl Subdivision Recruiting Calendar here.

NCAA Division I FOOTBALL Championship Subdivision Recruiting Calendar (Fall)

• August 1–31, 2026: Dead period
  • Except: 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.
• September 1 – November 28, 2026: Evaluation Period
  • Thirty-three (42 for U.S. service academies) evaluation days during the fall evaluation period.
• November 30 – December 3, 2026: Dead period
• December 4–17, 2026: Contact Period
• December 18–20, 2026: Quiet period
• December 20–31, 2026: Dead period

View the full 2026-27 Football Championship Subdivision Recruiting Calendar here.

NCAA Division 1 Baseball Recruiting Calendar

• August 1–16, 2026: Contact period
• August 17 – September 10, 2026: Quiet period
• September 11 – October 11, 2026: Contact period
• October 12, 2026 – February 28, 2027: Quiet period; except during designated dead and shutdown periods as follows:
  • November 9–12, 2026: Dead period
  • November 24–29, 2026: Recruiting shutdown
  • December 22–27, 2026: Recruiting shutdown
• January 7–10, 2027: Dead period
• March 1 – July 31, 2027: Contact period; except during designated dead periods as follows:
  • May 31 – June 7, 2027: Dead period
  • June 19–21, 2027: Dead period
  • July 3–5, 2027: Dead period

View the full 2026-27 DI Baseball Recruiting Calendar here.

NCAA Division 1 Men’s Basketball Recruiting Calendar

For the men’s basketball recruiting evaluation periods, there are two different kinds of evaluation periods that take place. During the April evaluations, coaches can only evaluate recruits at NCAA-certified events. If you are on an AAU team or participating in a club basketball tournament at that time, chances are, it’s an NCAA-certified event. You can always double check if the event is NCAA-certified before you attend.

During the remainder of the evaluation periods, all live evaluations must take place at a regularly scheduled high school, prep school or two-year college tournament, practice or game. Again, it’s important to know when the evaluations can happen, but chances are, the coach will let you know when they plan to visit you during this time.

• August 1–19, 2026: Dead period
• August 20 – September 8, 2026: Quiet period
• September 9, 2026 – April 30, 2027: Contact period / Recruiting period; except during designated dead periods as follows:
  • November 9–12, 2026: Dead period
  • December 24–26, 2026: Dead period
  • April 1–8, 2027: Dead period
• May 1 – June 30, 2027: Quiet period; except during designated evaluation and dead periods as follows:
  • May 14–16, 2027: Evaluation period
  • May 28 – June 6, 2027: Dead period
  • June 11–13, 2027: Evaluation period (For approved NCAA, NFHS, and two-year college scholastic events)
  • June 19–20, 2027: Dead period
  • June 25–27, 2027: Evaluation period (For approved NCAA, NFHS, and two-year college scholastic events)
• July 1–31, 2027*: Dead period; except during designated evaluation and quiet periods as follows:
  • July 8–11 and 15–18, 2027: Evaluation period
  • July 19–25, 2027: Quiet period
• August 1–18, 2027: Dead period
• August 19–31, 2027: Quiet period

*A prospective student-athlete may not make an unofficial visit during the month of July unless he has signed the institution’s written offer of admission and/or financial aid, or the institution has received a financial deposit from the prospective student-athlete in response to an offer of admission (see Bylaw 13.7.2.1).

View the full 2026-27 DI Men’s Basketball Recruiting Calendar here.

NCAA Division 1 Women’s Basketball Recruiting Calendar

The NCAA includes a special note for coaches, explaining that any evaluations that occur outside of July, count toward their allotted 112 total in-person recruiting days. Families don’t need to worry about the number of days coaches have to make in-person evaluations, but it’s important to know that evaluation days aren’t unlimited. Coaches have to choose who they will see, which means that they likely won’t just show up to your high school unannounced. Instead, they will probably contact you to arrange a day that works with both of your schedules.

• August 1–31, 2026: Quiet period
  • August 10–16, 2026: Recruiting shutdown
• September 1–30, 2026: Contact period (Seniors & 2-year PSAs only; Evaluation period for other PSAs for scholastic activities only)
• October 1, 2026 – February 28, 2027: Evaluation period (Scholastic activities only)
  • December 24–26, 2026: Dead period
• March 1–31, 2027: Contact period (Seniors & 2-year PSAs only; Evaluation period for other PSAs for scholastic activities only)
• April 1–5, 2027: Dead period
• April 6 – July 31, 2027: Quiet period (except during designated dead, evaluation, and shutdown periods)
  • April 22, 2027: Dead period (High school and two-year college PSAs only)
  • April 23–25, 2027: Evaluation period (Certified nonscholastic events only)
  • April 26, 2027: Dead period (High school and two-year college PSAs only)
  • May 3–8, 2027: Recruiting shutdown
  • May 13, 2027: Dead period
  • May 14–16, 2027: Evaluation period (Certified nonscholastic events only)
  • May 17, 2027: Dead period
  • June 16, 2027: Dead period
  • June 17 (noon) – June 19 (6 p.m.), 2027: Evaluation period (Approved scholastic events)
  • June 20, 2027: Dead period
  • July 9–12, 2027: Evaluation period
  • July 13, 2027: Dead period
  • July 22, 2027: Dead period
  • July 23–28, 2027: Evaluation period
  • July 27, 2027: Dead period

View the full 2026-27 DI Women’s Basketball Recruiting Calendar here.

NCAA Division 1 Men’s/Women’s Cross Country and Track & Field Recruiting Calendar

• August 1 – December 13, 2026: Contact period; except during designated dead periods as follows:
  • November 9–12, 2026: Dead period
  • November 21, 2026: Dead period
• December 14–26, 2026: Dead period
• December 27, 2026 – July 31, 2027: Contact period; except during designated dead periods as follows:
  • March 12–13, 2027: Dead period
  • June 9–12, 2027: Dead period

View the full 2026-27 DI Men’s/Women’s Cross Country and Track and Field Recruiting Calendar here.

NCAA Division 1 Men’s Golf Recruiting Calendar

• August 1 – November 25, 2026: Contact period
  • Except: November 9–12, 2026: Dead period
• November 26–29, 2026: Dead period
• November 30 – December 22, 2026: Quiet period
  • During this time, a coach can evaluate a recruit at two events—a showcase and a combine—that are traditionally held in conjunction with the Golf Coaches Association of America National Convention.
  • Except: December 8–10, 2026 (12:01 am): Dead period; the NCAA explains that a dead period is in effect from the first official day of the Golf Coaches Association of America Convention until 12:01 am on the day after the convention ends.
• December 23, 2026 – January 1, 2027: Dead period
• January 2 – July 31, 2027: Contact period

View the full 2026-27 DI Men’s Golf Recruiting Calendar here.

NCAA Division 1 Men’s Lacrosse Recruiting Calendar

• August 1–3, 2026: Contact period
• August 4–10, 2026: Quiet period
• August 11–31, 2026: Dead period
• September 1 – October 31, 2026: Contact period (no lacrosse evaluations are permitted)
• November 1–22, 2026: Contact period; except during designated dead periods as follows:
  • November 9–12, 2026: Dead period
  • November 23–29, 2026: Dead period
• November 25 – December 1, 2025: Dead period
• November 30 – December 23, 2026: Quiet period; except during designated dead periods as follows:
  • December 9–13, 2026: Dead period
• December 24, 2026 – January 3, 2027: Dead period
• January 4–18, 2027: Contact period (no lacrosse evaluations are permitted)
• January 19 – February 28, 2027: Quiet period
• March 1 – May 27, 2027: Contact period
• May 28 – June 1 (Noon), 2027: Dead period
• June 1 (Noon) – July 31, 2027: Contact period; except during designated dead periods as follows:
  • July 1–10, 2027: Dead period

View the full D1 Men’s Lacrosse Recruiting Calendar here.

NCAA Division 1 Women’s Lacrosse Recruiting Calendar

• August 1–14, 2026: Recruiting shutdown
• August 15–27, 2026: Quiet period
• August 28 – September 3, 2026: Dead period
• September 4 – November 30, 2026: Contact period; except during evaluation, dead, and shutdown periods as follows:
  • November 6–8, 13–15, & 20–22, 2026: Evaluation period
    • The three weekends (5 PM Friday through Sunday) immediately before Thanksgiving Day. On the third weekend, immediately preceding Thanksgiving, a coach may evaluate only at the events (showcase and tournament) that are held in conjunction with the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association.
  • November 9–12, 2026: Dead period
  • November 18–20, 2026: Dead period
    • Dead period will end on the 20th when IWLCA Convention adjourns.
  • November 24–29, 2026: Recruiting shutdown
• December 1–30, 2026: Contact period*; except during designated shutdown periods as follows:
  • December 22–26, 2026: Recruiting shutdown
• December 31, 2026 – January 2, 2027: Recruiting shutdown
• January 3 – May 27, 2027: Contact period*
• May 28–30, 2027: Dead period / Evaluation period
  • One event conducted during the weekend of the Women’s Lacrosse Championship, provided it is conducted within a 100-mile radius of the site of the championship. (Note: Coaches may not attend the event two hours before through two hours after the semifinals competition and two hours before through two hours after the final game.)
• May 31 – June 10, 2027: Contact period*
• June 11 – July 31, 2027: Evaluation period; except during designated dead periods as follows:
  • July 2–6, 2027: Dead period

*Note: Bylaw 13.1.7.3.1 (Evaluations During Contact Periods — Women’s Lacrosse). Evaluations of live athletics activities during a contact period are limited to:

1. Regularly scheduled high school, preparatory school and twoyear college contests/tournaments and practices; and
2. Regular scholastic activities involving prospective studentathletes enrolled only at the institution where the regular scholastic activities occur.

View the full 2026-27 D1 Women’s Lacrosse Recruiting Calendar here.

NCAA Division 1 Women’s Volleyball Recruiting Calendar

• August 1–31, 2026: Quiet period
• September 1 – November 30, 2026: Contact period; except during designated dead periods as follows:
  • November 9–12, 2026: Dead period
• December 1, 2026 – January 14, 2027: Quiet period; except during designated dead periods as follows:
  • During the AVCA annual awards banquet, college coaches can accidentally bump into two-year college athletes who’ve been awarded. But they are not allowed to have any conversations about recruiting at that time.
  • December 17, 2026 – January 1, 2027: Dead period
    • Coaching staff is permitted to evaluate recruits on one day only, starting the Thursday of the NCAA Division 1 Women’s Volleyball Championship through the Sunday immediately following the championship. The event they recruit at must be within a 30-mile radius of the championship site, and they cannot attend any events that take place at the same time as a collegiate game.
• January 15 – July 31, 2027: Contact period; except during designated quiet periods as follows:
  • March 1–4, 2027: Quiet period
  • March 8–11, 2027: Quiet period
  • March 15–18, 2027: Quiet period
  • March 22–25, 2027: Quiet period
  • March 29 – April 1, 2027: Quiet period
  • April 5–8, 2027: Quiet period

View the full 2026-27 D1 Women’s Volleyball Recruiting Calendar here.

NCAA Division 1 Women’s Beach Volleyball Recruiting Calendar

• August 1 – December 6, 2026: Contact period; except during designated dead periods as follows:
  • November 9–12, 2026: Dead period
• December 7–15, 2026: Evaluation period
  • During the AVCA annual awards banquet, college coaches can accidentally bump into two-year college athletes who’ve been awarded. But they are not allowed to have any conversations about recruiting at that time.
• January 1–15, 2027: Evaluation period
• January 16 – April 30, 2027: Contact period
• May 1–4, 2027: Evaluation period
• May 5–9, 2027: Dead period
  • An institution’s authorized coaching staff members (see Bylaw 11.7.5) 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.
• May 10–28, 2027: Evaluation period
• May 29 – July 31, 2027: Contact period

View the full 2026-27 D1 Women’s Beach Volleyball Recruiting Calendar here.

NCAA Division 1 Softball Recruiting Calendar

The NCAA restricts which camps and clinics college softball coaches and their staff members are allowed to work at. The rules state that coaches and their staff members can only work at events off their campus if they take place during periods where evaluations are permitted at non-scholastic practices or competitions. This is something that coaches know to comply with, so families generally don’t have to worry about it. However, when looking at attending events for exposure, keep the evaluation periods in the back of your mind, and avoid attending off-campus camps or clinics during evaluation periods where coaches can only attend scholastic practices and competitions.

• August 1–9, 2026: Contact period
• August 10 – November 22, 2026: Evaluation period for scholastic practice and competition activities only (except the dates below)
  • August 28 – September 3, 2026: Dead period
  • October 17–18, 24–25: Evaluation period (Scholastic & nonscholastic)
  • October 31 – November 1: Evaluation period (Scholastic & nonscholastic)
  • November 7–8, 14–15, 21–22, 2026: Evaluation period (Scholastic & nonscholastic)
  • November 9–12, 2026: Dead period
• November 23, 2026 – January 2, 2027: Quiet period; except during dead & shutdown periods as follows:
  • November 25–29, 2026: Recruiting shutdown
  • December 8–12, 2026: Dead period
  • December 22–26, 2026: Recruiting shutdown
  • December 31, 2026 – January 2, 2027: Recruiting shutdown
• January 3 – May 31, 2027: Evaluation period (only scholastic practice and competition activities)
• June 1–11*, 2027: Dead period (WCWS dates)
• June 12* – July 31, 2027: Contact period

Note: Any high school regional and state championship competition that doesn’t occur during a dead period should be treated like an evaluation period.

*Dates are based on the Women’s College World Series®. If the WCWS dates are delayed, the dead period continues through the day of the final championship game. If the WCWS ends after two games, the dead period concludes on the day of the final game and the contact period begins the next day.

View the full 2026-27 D1 Softball Recruiting Calendar here.

NCAA Division 1 All Other Sports Recruiting Calendar

We’ve listed out the dead and quiet periods for sports in which no recruiting calendar has been established. For those dates not part of the dead or quiet period or recruiting shutdown, treat them like a contact period. 

Women’s gymnastics dead & Quiet periods & recruiting Shutdowns

• November 9–12, 2026: Dead Period
• November 26–29, 2026: Recruiting Shutdown
• December 1–30, 2026: Dead period
• April 14–18 (noon), 2027: Dead period; The day before the first day of the NCAA Division I Women’s Gymnastics Championships to noon on the day after the championships
• May 11–13, 2027: Dead period; The first day to last day of the coaches association convention.
• May 17–23, 2027: Quiet period; Monday to Sunday after the USA Gymnastics Developmental Nationals.
• June 1–15, 2027: Dead period

Men’s ice hockey dead periods

• November 9–12, 2026: Dead Period
• April 7–11 (noon), 2027: Dead Period; Wednesday prior to the NCAA Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Championship to noon on the Sunday after the championship game

Women’s ice hockey dead and quiet periods

• November 9–12, 2026: Dead period
• Dead period: March 18–22 (noon), 2027: Dead period; The day prior to the NCAA Division I Women’s Ice Hockey Championship to noon on the day after the game.
• April 26 – May 31, 2027: Quiet period; The Monday prior to the American Hockey Coaches Association Convention through May 31.

Men’s soccer dead and quiet periods

• November 9–12, 2026: Dead Period
• December 11–14, 2026: Dead Period (Friday through Sunday of the NCAA Division I Men’s Soccer Championship)
• December 23–25, 2026: Quiet Period

Women’s soccer dead periods

• August 1–11, 2026: Dead period
• November 9–12, 2026: Dead period
• December 15, 2026 – January 6, 2027: Dead period
• July 28–31, 2027: Dead period

Men’s wrestling dead periods & Recruiting Shutdowns

• November 9–12, 2026: Dead period
• December 24–26, 2026: Recruiting shutdown
• March 16–21, 2027: Recruiting shutdown; Tuesday through Sunday of the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships.
• July 26 – August 1, 2027: Dead period; Monday before the National Wrestling Coaches Association Convention through the day of adjournment of the convention.

Note: For four-year prospective student-athletes, a dead period goes into effect for three
(3) consecutive weeks starting 21 days following the final date to provide notification of transfer.

Women’s wrestling dead periods

• November 9–12, 2026: Dead Period
• July 26 – August 1, 2027: Dead period; Monday before the National Wrestling Coaches Association Convention through the day of adjournment of the convention.

All other sports

• November 9–12, 2026: Dead Period
  • Except: When the dead period occurs during the North American Cup Fencing Championship, authorized coach staff members are allowed to watch recruits participating in that competition.
  • Except: When the dead period occurs during the Junior Olympic Rifle Championships, authorized coach staff members are allowed to watch recruits participating in that competition.

View the 2026-27 DI Other Sports Recruiting Calendar here.

NCAA Division 2 Football Recruiting Calendar

• June 1, 2025 until the beginning of the recruit’s first regularly scheduled football practice: Quiet period
  • During the recruit’s high school or junior college football season, starting with the first regularly scheduled practice
• December 1 (7 am) – 3 (7 am) 2026 for all two-year college prospective student athletes enrolling mid year: Dead period
• January 12–14, 2026: Dead period
• February 2 (7 am) – 4 (7 am), 2026: Dead period

NCAA Division 2 Men’s Basketball Recruiting Calendar

All dates not indicated below should be treated like a quiet period.

• June 1–14, 2025: Quiet period
• June 15 – July 31, 2025: Evaluation period
• November 10 (7 am) –12 (7 am), 2025: Dead period

NCAA Division 2 Women’s Basketball Recruiting Calendar

All dates not indicated below should be treated like a quiet period.

• June 1–14, 2025: Quiet period
• June 15 – July 31, 2025: Evaluation period
• November 10 (7 am) –12 (7 am), 2025: Dead period

NCAA Division 2 All Other Sports Recruiting Calendar

Treat all dates not called out here like a contact period.

• November 10 – 13, 2025
• Except: When the dead period occurs during the U.S. Diving National Championships, authorized coach staff members are allowed to watch recruits participating in that competition.
• Except: When the dead period occurs during the North American Cup Fencing Championship, authorized coach staff members are allowed to watch recruits participating in that competition.
• Except: When the dead period occurs during the Junior Olympic Rifle Championships, authorized coach staff members are allowed to watch recruits participating in that competition.

Frequently Asked Questions