Women’s basketball coaches could be following different recruiting rules by the start of the 2017-18 school year if a package of proposals introduced into the legislative cycle by the Division I Council is adopted. The Council met Oct. 4-5 in Indianapolis.
“The proposed changes to the women’s basketball recruiting rules would reinforce the importance of a transparent process and enforceable rules,” said Anucha Browne, NCAA vice president for women’s basketball. “The legislation wouldn’t decrease access to coaches but would alleviate some of the more burdensome aspects of the recruiting process for prospective student-athletes.”
The proposals were developed by an ad hoc group working on recruiting in the sport and recommended by the Division I Women’s Basketball Oversight Committee.
The proposals would:
- Shorten the recruiting calendar by allowing coaches to contact recruits beginning March 1 of the junior year. Current rules allow contact beginning Sept. 1 of the junior year.
- Allow coaches to evaluate recruits at nonscholastic events during two weekends of the academic year, one in fall and one in spring. Allowing this type of recruiting assists schools with limited resources in evaluating multiple recruits at one location.
- Require all days a coach evaluates or contacts a recruit to count toward the limit that coach has on days of recruiting, except during July. This would create consistency among schools with different academic calendars.
- Prohibit schools from hiring an individual associated with a prospect at a camp or clinic in a noncoaching position or as strength and conditioning coach. Division I adopted a similar rule for men’s basketball in 2010.
- Require schools’ basketball camps and clinics to be operated in a similar way, including fees and overall experience, to other camps and clinics for females.
- Allow women’s basketball coaches to recruit at camps and clinics hosted by their own school. Supporters believe this proposal will reduce nonscholastic influence on the recruiting process.
- Allow more than three prospects from adjoining states to participate on any one nonscholastic team during a certified event. The change would lift restrictions on opportunities for prospects.