NCAA extends recruiting dead period, expands offseason activity hours

The NCAA extended the recruiting dead period, but they hope to have prospect camps this summer. (USA TODAY Sports/Charles Nye) (Photo: Charles Nye / USATODAY)

by TigerNet Staff - Wed Feb 17 19:12:18 GMT-04:00 2021

The NCAA announced a number of measures on Wednesday, including an extension of the recruiting dead period to May 31.

“After careful consideration of all available information, the Council agreed that an extension of the dead period through May 31 was necessary,” NCAA Division I Council chair M. Grace Calhoun said in a news 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.”

The dead period keeping prospects from visiting campuses, among other restricted activities in-person, has been in place since last March. The NCAA news release stressed that Council members "noted the importance of summer camps and clinics for both coaches and prospective student-athletes" and that they believe keeping the dead period in place improves the chances they can hold those kind of activities after June 1.

Another measure put in place included the increase of out-of-season activities this spring from eight to 10 hours a week, with up to four hours for meetings, film review and walk-throughs (two-hour limit on those) and no more than six hours of physical activities (weight training/conditioning).

The council also narrowed the rule on individuals associated with prospects in football and basketball, as "Council members think the base rule, aimed at preventing schools from hiring people in a prospective student-athlete’s life in order to gain a recruiting advantage, has had the unintended consequence of preventing coaches and noncoaching staff members from career advancement at different schools. The change will be effective Feb. 24 if Division I Board of Directors members do not object."

Per the news release, the council did not, however, vote for another round of blanket waivers for 2021 freshman spring sport athletes.