13.1.2 Permissible Recruiters.
13.1.2.1 General Rule. All in-person, on- and off-campus recruiting contacts with a prospective student-athlete
or the prospective student-athlete’s relatives or legal guardians shall be made only by authorized institutional
staff members. Such contact, as well as correspondence and telephone calls, by representatives of an institution’s
athletics interests is prohibited except as otherwise permitted in this section. Violations of this bylaw involving
individuals other than a representative of an institution’s athletics interests shall be considered institutional violations
per Constitution 2.8.1; however, such violations shall not affect the prospective student-athlete’s eligibility.
(Revised: 8/5/04)
13.1.2.1.1 Off-Campus Recruiters. An institutional staff member is not permitted to recruit off campus
until he or she has been certified on an annual basis as to knowledge of applicable recruiting rules per
Bylaw 11.5.1.1. Violations of this bylaw shall be considered institutional violations per Constitution 2.8.1;
however, such violations shall not affect the prospective student-athlete’s eligibility. (Adopted: 1/10/91 effective
8/1/92, Revised: 4/27/00)
13.1.2.2 General Exceptions. This regulation is not applicable to:
(a) Admissions Program. Off-campus recruiting contacts made by an institution’s regular admissions program
representative and directed at all prospective students including nonathletes.
(b) Coach Who Is Prospective Student-Athlete’s Parent or Legal Guardian. Recruiting contact and
evaluation limitations do not apply to a coaching staff member who is the parent (or legal guardian) of a
participant in any activity being observed (e.g., practices, contests or camps), provided the attendance by
the coaching staff member at such activity does not involve any personal contact with any other participating
prospective student-athlete. (Revised: 1/10/95, 1/14/97 effective 8/1/97)
(c) Spouse of Prospective Student-Athlete’s Coach. Recruiting contact and evaluation limitations
do not apply to a coaching staff member observing a contest that involves prospective student-athletes
coached by his or her spouse, provided the attendance by the coaching staff member at such a contest
does not involve any personal contact with any prospective student-athlete participating in the contest.
(Adopted: 1/11/94)
(d) Established Family Friend/Neighbor. Contacts made with a prospective student-athlete by an established
family friend or neighbor, it being understood that such contacts are not made for recruiting
purposes and are not initiated by a member of an institution’s coaching staff.
(e) Spouse of Staff Member
(1) On Campus. A spouse of an institutional staff member on campus.
(2) Off Campus during Official Visit. A spouse of an athletics department staff member during a prospective
student-athlete’s official visit and within a 30-mile radius of the institution’s main campus
during the prospective student-athlete’s official visit.
(f ) Interpreter. An interpreter present during an institution’s in-person, off-campus contact with a prospective
student-athlete or the prospective student-athlete’s parents (or legal guardians), provided that if the
institution is involved in making the arrangements for the use of the interpreter, the interpreter must be
a faculty member or a professional interpreter. It is not permissible for the interpreter to be an enrolled
student-athlete, a family member of an enrolled student-athlete or a representative of the institution’s
athletics interests. (Adopted: 1/11/97)
(g) Unavoidable Incidental Contact. An unavoidable incidental contact made with a prospective studentathlete
by representatives of the institution’s athletics interests, provided the contact is not prearranged
by the representative or an athletics department staff member, does not take place on the grounds of the
prospective student-athlete’s educational institution or at the sites of organized competition and practice
involving the prospective student-athlete or the prospective student-athlete’s team (high school, preparatory
school, two-year college or all-star team), is not made for the purpose of recruitment of the prospective
student-athlete, and involves only normal civility.
(h) Permissible Pre-enrollment Activities. Contacts between a prospective student-athlete and an athletics
representative regarding permissible pre-enrollment activities (e.g., a discussion of summer-employment
arrangements that occurs after the prospective student-athlete’s signing of the National Letter of
Intent).
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13Recruiting
13.1.2.3 General Restrictions—Staff Members and Governing Board. The following are additional
restrictions that apply to an institution’s staff members and governing board. Violations of this bylaw shall be
considered institutional violations per Constitution 2.8.1; however, such violations shall not affect the prospective
student-athlete’s eligibility. (Revised: 4/27/00)
(a) Institutional Staff Members—Off-Campus Contacts. Only those coaches permitted to recruit off
campus as specified in Bylaw 11.7 may contact prospective student-athletes off campus. Institutional
staff members (e.g., faculty members) may contact prospective student-athletes for recruiting purposes in
all sports, on campus, or within 30 miles of campus during the prospective student-athlete’s official visit.
(Revised: 1/10/91 effective 8/1/91, 4/28/05, 5/26/06)
(b) Noncoaching Staff Members with Sport-Specific Responsibilities. A noncoaching staff member
with sport-specific responsibilities (except a staff member who only performs clerical duties) shall not
attend an on- or off-campus athletics event in the staff member’s sport that involves prospective studentathletes
(e.g., high school contest, noninstitutional sports camp) unless the staff member is an immediate
family member or legal guardian of a participant in the activity. A staff member who is an immediate
family member or legal guardian of a participant may attend such an event, subject to the following conditions:
(Adopted: 1/16/10, Revised: 4/13/10, 4/29/10)
(i) Attendance shall not be for evaluation purposes (the staff member shall not provide information
related to the performance of a prospective student-athlete back to the institution’s coaching staff);
and
(ii) The staff member shall not have direct contact with a prospective student-athlete or a prospective
student-athlete’s parent (or legal guardian) or coach (other than the immediate family member, if
applicable) participating in the activity.
(c) Board of Governors/Regents. Recruiting contacts on or off campus between a member of the institution’s
board of governors (or regents) and a prospective student-athlete are not permissible.
13.1.2.4 Other Restrictions, Athletics Representatives. The following are additional restrictions that
apply to athletics representatives:
(a) Telephone Conversation. An athletics representative of a member institution may speak to a prospective
student-athlete via the telephone only if the prospective student-athlete initiates the telephone conversation
and the call is not for recruiting purposes. Under such circumstances, the representative must
refer questions about the institution’s athletics program to the athletics department staff;
(b) Observing Prospective Student-Athlete’s Contest. An athletics representative may view a prospective
student-athlete’s athletics contest on his or her own initiative, subject to the understanding that the
athletics representative may not contact the prospective student-athlete on such occasions;
(c) Evaluation of Prospective Student-Athlete. An athletics representative may not contact a prospective
student-athlete’s coach, principal or counselor in an attempt to evaluate the prospective studentathlete;
and
(d) Visiting Prospective Student-Athlete’s Institution. An athletics representative may not visit a prospective
student-athlete’s educational institution to pick up film/videotape or transcripts pertaining to the
evaluation of the prospective student-athlete’s academic eligibility or athletics ability.
13.1.2.5 Off-Campus Contacts or Evaluations. Only those coaches who are identified by the institution,
in accordance with Bylaws 11.7.2.2, 11.7.3.2 and 11.7.4 may contact or evaluate prospective student-athletes
off campus. Violations of this bylaw shall be considered institutional violations per Constitution 2.8.1; however,
such violations shall not affect the prospective student-athlete’s eligibility. (Revised: 1/10/91 effective 8/1/92,
8/5/04, 5/26/06)
13.1.2.5.1 Written Certification. A member institution shall certify in writing and have on file a list of
those coaches who are permitted to contact or evaluate prospective student-athletes off campus. (Revised:
5/26/06)
13.1.2.5.2 Department-Wide Responsibilities. An athletics department staff member who has department-
wide responsibilities (e.g., recruiting coordinator) may not contact or evaluate prospective student-
athletes off campus unless the staff member is counted as a countable coach in the applicable sport (see
Bylaw 11.7.1.2 for restrictions related to recruiting coordination functions). (Revised: 5/26/06)
13.1.2.6 Head Coach Restrictions—Bowl Subdivision Football. [FBS]
13.1.2.6.1 Assistant Coach Publicly Designated as Institution’s Next Head Coach. [FBS] An institution’s
assistant coach who has been publicly designated by the institution to become its next head coach
shall be subject to the recruiting restrictions applicable to the institution’s head coach. (Adopted: 1/16/10)
13.1.2.6.2 Off-Campus Contact. [FBS] In bowl subdivision football, the head coach may make inperson,
off-campus contact with a prospective student-athlete or the prospective student-athlete’s relatives
or legal guardians only during one calendar day. It is permissible for this contact to occur both at the site
of the prospective student-athlete’s educational institution and away from the institutional grounds. During
such contact, the head coach may be accompanied by assistant coaches, who otherwise are required to
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observe the restrictions contained in the bylaws. Violations of this bylaw shall be considered institutional
violations per Constitution 2.8.1; however, such violations shall not affect the prospective student-athlete’s
eligibility. (Revised: 1/10/92 effective 8/1/92, 8/5/04, 12/15/06)
13.1.2.6.3 Spring Evaluation Period. [FBS] In bowl subdivision football, during the April 15 through
May 31 evaluation period, the head coach shall not engage in off-campus recruiting activities, participate
in an off-campus coaching clinic, visit a prospective student-athlete’s educational institution for any reason
or meet with a prospective student-athlete’s coach at an off-campus location. (Adopted: 1/14/08, Revised:
1/17/09)
