Getting Started with College Recruiting
New to all of this? You are not behind. Pick your situation below and follow the steps in order. Each step is short and links to a guide when you want more detail.
Choose your path:
Parent / Guardian Roadmap
Your child wants to play in college. Here is what to do, in order.
Learn the four levels
NCAA Division I, II and III, plus the NAIA. D1 is the smallest group of players and the hardest to reach. Many athletes are happier, and pay less, at D2, D3 or NAIA schools.
Protect eligibility from grade 9
D1 and D2 need 16 approved core courses and a core GPA of at least 2.3 (D1) or 2.2 (D2). No SAT/ACT is needed for the NCAA. Register with the NCAA Eligibility Center around the start of grade 10.
Divisions I and II now use an age-based “5-for-5” clock: five seasons of competition inside one five-year window. The window starts at your first full-time college enrollment anywhere (junior colleges and schools abroad count) or the academic year after your 19th birthday, whichever comes first. Redshirts and most extension waivers are gone, so starting college on time protects all five years.
See how the eligibility clock worksBe realistic about money
Most athletic scholarships are partial, and D3 gives none. Compare what you would pay after all aid, including academic and need-based aid, not just the athletic offer.
The House v. NCAA settlement (approved June 6, 2025) replaced D1's per-sport scholarship caps with roster limits (105 in football, 15 in men's and women's basketball) and lets schools that opt in pay athletes directly through revenue sharing, capped at about $20.5M per school in 2025-26 and roughly $21.3M in 2026-27. Inside a roster limit every spot can be funded, but each school decides how many it actually funds, so partial aid is still common.
Read the full House settlement money rulesLet your child lead coach contact
Coaches want to hear from the athlete. Help with organization, emails and visits, and save your questions on cost, housing and academics for calls and visits.
Get every offer in writing
Verbal offers and commitments are not binding. The binding step is signing the school's written athletics aid agreement. Read what it covers and how renewal works before signing.
The National Letter of Intent was eliminated in October 2024. Commitments are now formalized with the school's own written offer of athletics aid (a financial-aid agreement), which is now the binding document.
What to check before you signCommon Parent Questions
How realistic is a full scholarship?
Uncommon outside D1 football and basketball. Most athletes get partial athletic aid combined with academic or need-based aid, and most families still pay part of the cost.
We live outside the US. Where do we start?
Read the International Student-Athlete Guide first. Register early with the Eligibility Center: international reviews take longer, and the NCAA only reviews a file once a college requests it.
What are red flags in a program?
Pressure to commit fast, vague money promises, coaches who avoid questions about playing time, and many players leaving each year.
High School Athlete Roadmap
Six steps. Start with step 1 now, whatever grade you are in.
Get your grades right
Take the right 16 core courses and keep your core GPA up. For D1, finish 10 of them before senior year (7 in English, math or science); those grades lock in.
Register with the NCAA Eligibility Center
At eligibilitycenter.org, around the start of grade 10. You get an NCAA ID to put in every email to coaches.
Make a highlight video
3-5 minutes of game footage, best plays first, with your name, position, graduation year and contact details at the start. Post it on YouTube or Hudl.
Build a list of 20-40 schools
Mix levels and include schools where you would play, not just make the team. Fill in each school's online recruiting questionnaire.
Email coaches yourself
You can contact coaches at any age. Coaches can only start replying from set dates, in most D1 sports June 15 after grade 10 or September 1 of grade 11. Short, personal emails work best.
Get seen, visit, decide
Go to camps and club events where your target coaches will be. Take unofficial visits any time. Official (paid) visits are unlimited in D1, one per school. Compare offers on cost after aid, playing time and your degree.
See what a real recruitment board looks like
Every school you are talking to on one board, each with its recruitment stage, your ratings and your notes. The sample board is live, no account needed.
Common Athlete Questions
When should I start?
Plan your classes in grade 9. Start emailing coaches in grade 10 or 11. Some sports (for example swimming, tennis, women's soccer) recruit earlier than others.
What if my grades are not good enough?
Raise them in the semesters you have left, look at D3 or NAIA schools, or start at a junior college. Junior college years count toward the five-year eligibility clock.
Can international athletes get scholarships?
Yes, on the same terms as US athletes. You also need an F-1 visa and usually an English test. See the International Guide.
Transfer Roadmap
Already in college and thinking about moving? Five steps.
Know the rules
In D1, academically eligible athletes can transfer and play right away, as often as they like. But you can only enter the portal during your sport's window.
In Division I you can only enter the transfer portal during your sport's window, and the windows differ by sport. Football has a single 10-day window in early January, basketball gets 15 days after the national championship game, and most other sports get about 30 days after their season plus a short second window. The NCAA changes these dates almost every year, so we keep the sport-by-sport table in one place.
See the sport-by-sport transfer windowsBe clear about why
Playing time, a coaching change, your degree, money or fit. Your reason decides which schools to target.
Talk to compliance first
Your school's compliance office enters you into the portal. Once you are in, your current school no longer has to keep your scholarship or roster spot.
Check money and credits
Your scholarship does not move with you; each new school makes its own offer. Ask every school which of your credits will count toward your degree.
Watch your clock
Transferring does not reset or add years. Your five-year window keeps running from your first full-time enrollment.
Ready to Start?
Create a free account to track colleges, log coach contacts and share the journey with your family.