KEY DATES:
- When can you begin speaking with NCAA equestrian coaches? June 15th after your sophomore year of high school
- When can you officially visit an NCAA equestrian school? August 1st before your junior year in high school
- When can you unofficially visit an NCAA equestrian school? Anytime, however, you are not able to meet with coaches until after August 1st prior to your junior year in high school.
- When can you attend Camps/Clinics? Anytime, as long as you fit within the age group of that particular camp
Recruiting Terms:
Prospective student-athlete (PSA): You become a “prospective student-athlete” when:
- You start ninth-grade classes
- Before your ninth-grade year, a college gives you, your relatives or your friends any financial assistance or other benefits that the college does not provide to students generally
Contact: A contact occurs any time a coach has any face-to-face interactions with you or your parents off the college's campus and says more than hello. A contact also occurs if a coach has any contact with you or your parents at your high school or any location where you are competing or practicing.
Evaluation: An evaluation is an activity by a coach to evaluate your academic or athletic ability. This would include visiting your high school or watching you practice or compete.
Dead period: A college coach may not have any in-person contact with you or your parents on or off campus at any time during a dead period. The coach may write and telephone you or your parents during this time.
Unofficial visit: Any visit by you and your parents go to a college campus paid for by you or your parents. The only expense you may receive from the college is three complimentary admissions to a home athletics contest. You may make as many unofficial visits as you like and may take those visits at any time after August 1 prior to your junior year in high school. The only time you cannot talk with a coach during an unofficial visit is during a dead period.
Official visit: Any visit to a college campus by you and your parents paid for by the college. The college may pay all or some of the following expenses:
- Your transportation to and from the college
- Room and meals (per day) while you are visiting the college
- Reasonable entertainment expenses, including three complimentary admissions to a home athletics contest
Before a college may invite you on an official visit, you will have to provide the college with a copy of your high school transcript (Division I only) and register with the NCAA Eligibility Center.
Verbal commitment: This phrase is used to describe a college-bound student-athlete's commitment to a school before she signs (or is able to sign) a National Letter of Intent (NLI). A college-bound student-athlete can announce a verbal commitment at any time. While verbal commitments have become very popular for both college-bound student-athletes and coaches, this "commitment" is NOT binding on either the college-bound student-athlete or the college or university. Only the signing of the National Letter of Intent (NLI) accompanied by a financial aid agreement is binding on both parties.
Financial Aid:
- Equestrian is an equivalency sport and teams can offer a maximum of 15 scholarships
- Athletics scholarships can provide tuition and fees, room, board, books and cost of attendance
- You can receive non-athletic aid
- According to statistics about 2% of high school athletes receive college athletic scholarships
Initial Eligibility and Recruiting Rules:
High School Freshmen and Sophomores
- Start planning now by working hard to get the best grades possible
- Take classes that are on your high school’s List of NCAA Courses. The NCAA Eligibility Center will only use approved courses to certify your initial eligibility
- Register at the NCAA Eligibility Center at the beginning of your sophomore year
- Rules:
- You may receive brochures for camps and questionnaires
- You can make calls to coaches at your expense but a coach may not have a recruiting conversation with you or your family or trainer before June 15th following your sophomore year
- Coaches CANNOT call you back
- You may begin receiving recruiting materials starting June 15th following your sophomore year
High School Juniors
- Register to take the ACT, SAT or both and use the NCAA Eligibility Center code “9999” as a score recipient
- Check with your counselor to make sure you will graduate on time with the required number of NCAA Courses
- At the end of the year, request that your high school counselor send an official transcript to the NCAA Eligibility Center. (The NCAA Eligibility Center does NOT accept faxed or emailed transcripts.)
- Rules:
- You can make calls to coaches at your expense after June 15th the summer before your junior year
- Coaches can call, email, or text you beginning June 15th the summer before your junior year
- Off campus contact starts after August 1st of your junior year
- You can make unlimited unofficial visits except during a dead period after August 1st
- You can make official visits beginning August 1st
- You may only make one official visit per college and up to a maximum of five visits to Division I colleges
High School Seniors
- Take the ACT/ SAT as many times as necessary
- Continue to take college prep courses and finish your NCAA core courses
- Graduate on time (8 semesters)
- Visit the “My Planner” page after you register online to view your eligibility status and check for any missing information or documents
- Review your sports participation (amateurism) responses and request final amateurism certification beginning April 1 (for fall enrollees) or October 1 (for spring enrollees)
- After graduation, ask your high school counselor to send your final transcript with proof of graduation to the NCAA Eligibility Center
- Rules:
- You can receive recruiting materials
- You can make calls to coaches at your expense
- You can have an official visit beginning August 1st of your junior year
- You may only make one official visit per college and up to a maximum of five visits to Division I colleges
- You can make unlimited unofficial visits except during a dead period
Social Media:
Social Media rules are very limited to college coaches which include FB, Instagram and Twitter. Coaches are not allowed to make comments about a prospect’s post other than to like the post. Coaches are allowed to follow or friend prospects however there are strict limitations on how they can communicate through these channels.
BASIC STEPS TO PREPARE FOR RECRUITMENT:
Step 1: Consult National Collegiate Equestrian Association website to learn general information about NCAA Equestrian, and to review information on the colleges that offer NCAA-sanctioned equestrian teams.
Step 2: If possible, attend a NCAA Equestrian competition in your area to get a better idea of what the competition format is all about.
Step 3: Register online with the NCAA Eligibility Center. This is a very important requirement! It is best to register during your sophomore year of high school.
Step 4: Download a copy of the National Collegiate Athletic Association "Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete”. Consult your high school guidance counselor about getting on track toward becoming a NCAA Equestrian recruit, as these counselors usually have vast experience in navigating the often overwhelming volume of NCAA rules and information. Your guidance counselor will help to ensure that you are meeting all NCAA requirements for classes, and the requirements for the schools that you plan to apply to.
Step 5: Alert your trainer of your interest in a NCAA Equestrian school, and give him/her information on the NCAA Equestrian competitions so he/she can help and support you as you move through the recruiting process.
Step 6: Organize your horse-show records – specifically, start making a list of year-end awards and/or seasonal show highlights, and update it regularly. Also, from 9th grade forward, start keeping a detailed accounting of all prize money won and expenses incurred at horse shows, which includes saving and organizing all receipts. Prospective Student Athletes are allowed to win prize money. The amount of prize money is not allowed to exceed your expenses for that calendar year (i.e. Jan 1st to Dec 31st).
Step 7: Many colleges and universities have camps and clinics that recruits are permitted to attend. This is a great way to get more insight on a program, meet the coaches, and get a better direction of how the program is operated.
Step 8: Visit the websites of NCAA schools that you are interested in and fill out the recruiting questionnaire. No matter your age, it is helpful for coaches to have your graduation year and contact information.
Step 9: Be persistent! The more that you can reach out to the coaches and get your name out to them the better chance you will have to be considered for a position on a team. Recognize that academics and athletics are both important in being selected for an Equestrian program