NCAA rules

Class of 2029 recruiting timeline & contact rules

Last checked Oct 15, 2026 against NCAA sources. This is a plain-English summary. Confirm the details on the linked sources and with each school's compliance office.

Division I baseball (Class of 2029 = juniors in 2027–28)

  • Before Aug 1, 2027: you can email, call and send video to coaches anytime, and attend camps. D1 coaches may not call you, take your calls, or send you recruiting materials or electronic messages (texts, emails, DMs). Camp and questionnaire info is generally fine.
  • Aug 1, 2027 (start of junior year): coaches may call you, take your calls, and send recruiting materials and electronic correspondence (NCAA Bylaws 13.1.3.1.1, 13.1.3.2.2 and 13.4.1.1, adopted final Apr 26, 2023 (LSDBi proposal id 104823)).
  • Sept 1, 2027: off-campus in-person recruiting contact may begin (Bylaw 13.1.1.1 baseball exception, same proposal). From then on, schools get no more than 3 off-campus contacts within 7 total recruiting opportunities per year (Bylaw 13.1.5.2).
  • Visits: the NCSA summary of current rules says D1 official and unofficial visits with recruiting conversations begin Sept 1 of junior year. Confirm with each school's compliance office.
  • Calendar: in-person recruiting also has to fit D1 baseball's contact, quiet and dead periods. For 2026–27: contact periods are Aug 1–16 and Sept 11–Oct 11, 2026, and Mar 1–Jul 31, 2027. Dead periods are Nov 9–12, 2026, Jan 7–10, 2027, May 31–Jun 7, Jun 19–21 and Jul 3–5, 2027. Recruiting shutdowns are Nov 24–29 and Dec 22–27, 2026. The 2027–28 calendar (your junior year) hasn't been published yet.
  • 2025–26 change (roster limits): since July 1, 2025, D1 schools in the House settlement (the defendant conferences and schools that opted in) have a 34-player baseball roster limit in place of the old 11.7-scholarship cap (Bylaw 17.2). That means fewer roster spots and more scholarship flexibility, so keep D2, D3, NAIA and JUCO on your list.

Division II, Division III, NAIA and JUCO

  • D2: calls and recruiting materials are allowed anytime. Off-campus contact and official visits start June 15, 2027 (after sophomore year). Source: NCSA summary of NCAA D2 rules.
  • D3: calls and materials are allowed anytime, and off-campus contact starts after sophomore year. Official visits start Jan 1, 2028 (junior year).
  • NAIA: doesn't regulate coach contact or visits. Register with the NAIA Eligibility Center.
  • NJCAA (JUCO): no recruiting calendar. A paid visit requires you to have finished your junior year.

Year-by-year checklist

  • Freshman (2025–26): keep your grades up and take NCAA-approved core courses, start a highlight video, and build a target list from the directory.
  • Sophomore (2026–27): register with the NCAA Eligibility Center, email coaches your video and schedule, fill out questionnaires, and attend camps.
  • Junior (2027–28): D1 calls and texts start Aug 1, 2027 and off-campus contact Sept 1, 2027. Take visits and test if your target schools need it.
  • Senior (2028–29): sign, request final amateurism certification, and send final transcripts.

Sources (all checked Oct 15, 2026)