Ask a Recruiting Question

Do you have a question about eligibility requirements, important dates, etc? Fill out the following form and an NFCA staff member will provide you with the answer.

Past Questions and Answers:

I will graduate in June 2007. How soon can you file your clearinghouse papers with NCAA? Do I need to file through my H.S.? Is there somewhere on line I can get the proper procedure instructions?

It is strongly recommended that you register with the NCAA Clearinghouse after your junior year of high school. It is up to you to update your information every semester. You will need your high school code to register with the Clearinghouse. You can find the online link to the NCAA Clearinghouse in the “Rules and Resources” portion of the “Recruiting Information.”

I strongly recommend you read through the NFCA Recruiting Brochure and also take a look at some of the additional links in “Rules and Resources” section.

What is a verbal agreement and how soon can a verbal agreement be made from a College? Is a verbal agreement the same as a letter of intent?

A verbal commitment occurs when a student verbally indicates that she plans to attend a specific college or university and will play a sport there. A verbal commitment is not binding for the college or the student-athlete. There is no stipulation about how early it can be made except that the student-athlete only becomes a student-athlete upon entering the 9th grade.

The National Letter of Intent (NLI) is a legal, binding contract in which the student-athlete agrees to attend a college for one academic year. In return, the college agrees to provide the student with aid based on athletic ability for one academic year. The NLI is awarded only to seniors in high school.

My Daughter will be completing here Junior year of High School this May 2006 and plays softball. We have read and have used your Recruiting brochure as a guideline. However, we have been told that several colleges have already signed and fulfilled their rosters with 2007 graduates. My question is: Are we too late or are we on track?

You have been doing the right things if you have been following the suggestions in the recruiting camp brochure. Keep following those guidelines.

There are some colleges that have asked for and gotten verbals from younger athletes, but this is not a high percentage of schools when looking at all schools offering scholarships. And remember, the verbals are not binding and some will not actually happen.

Do any courses taken by a student-athlete prior to her 9th grade year count toward the NCAA Initial Eligibility Clearinghouse coursework?

No coursework taken prior to the 9th grade counts toward the NCAA Initial Eligibility Clearinghouse coursework.