Baseball Recruiting Calendar Being Refined

by • Featured

By LOU PAVLOVICH, JR.
Editor/Collegiate Baseball

INDIANAPOLIS — The NCAA Div. I Recruiting Calendar in baseball is being refined for the sixth time since 2003.

A select panel of 16 coaches from across the USA met in early December to discuss changes that will allow the Recruiting Calendar to be more efficient for all programs on this level.

Coaches included Erik Bakich (Michigan), Ed Blankmeyer (St. John’s), Andrew Checketts (U.C. Santa Barbara), Tim Corbin (Vanderbilt), Craig Cozart (High Point), Brian Green (New Mexico State), Rick Heller (Iowa), Josh Holliday (Oklahoma St.), Rich Maloney (Ball State), Mark Martinez (San Diego State), John McCormack (Florida Atlantic), Dan McDonnell (Louisville), Kevin O’Sullivan (Florida), Chris Pollard (Duke), John Savage (UCLA) and Jim Schlossnagle (TCU).

The group agreed on the following core principles:

Current Student-Athlete Development

  • Current student-athletes’ time spent with coaching staff on training as well as personal development.
  • Coaches missing as few practices and games as possible.

Coaches’ Livelihoods 

  • Work-life balance.
  • Development as coaches.
  • Longevity in profession.

Prospective Student-Athletes

  • Schedules and academic time missed.
  • Overuse/over-participation.
  • Arm care.

Other Items Of Note

  • All issues voted on were unanimous or nearly unanimous.
  • The group felt that college coaches should determine the recruiting schedule. The intention is that outside entities will be able to adjust to the new recruiting calendar as well as college programs’ fall training schedules.
  • The proposed changes to the recruiting calendar apply to both high school and junior college PSAs.
  • Other items were discussed and may be addressed in future meetings and surveys.

The American Baseball Coaches Association surveyed all NCAA Division I head coaches and assistant coaches who are ABCA members about the items on the proposed Recruiting Calendar via e-mail to find out what their views are.

The Recruiting Summit recommendations, as well as the results of the surveys, will be discussed during the NCAA Division I Coaches Meeting on Jan. 4, 2018 at the ABCA Convention in Indianapolis.

Proposed Changes to NCAA Rule 13.17.1
Baseball Recruiting Calendar

13.17.1 Baseball. The following periods of recruiting shall apply to baseball: (Adopted: 4/24/03 effective 8/1/03, Revised: 12/5/05, 7/30/10, 5/22/13, 4/28/16 effective 8/1/16)

(a) The third Monday of August through the second Thursday of September: Quiet Period

(b) The Friday following the second Thursday of September through the second Sunday in October: Contact Period

(c) The Monday following the second Sunday of October through the month of February [except for (1-2) below]: Quiet Period

   (1) Monday through Thursday of the week that includes the initial date for the fall signing of the National Letter of Intent: Dead Period

   (2) The first official day of the national convention of the American Baseball Coaches Association through the day of adjournment of the convention: Dead Period

(d) March 1 through the Sunday immediately before the third Monday of August [except for (1-4) below]: Contact Period

    (1) Monday through Thursday of the week that includes the initial date for the spring signing of the National Letter of Intent: Dead Period

    (2) The last Monday in May through the following Monday: Dead Period

    (3) The third Saturday in June through the following Monday: Dead Period

    (4) July 3-5: Dead Period

Current Calendar
August 1, 2017-July 31, 2018

(a) August 1-27, 2017: Contact Period

(b) August 28 through September 14, 2017: Quiet Period

(c) September 15 through November 5, 2017: Contact Period

(d) November 6-9, 2017: Dead Period

(e) November 10, 2017 through February 28, 2018 Quiet Period [except for (1) below]:

      (1) January 4-7, 2018: Dead Period

(f) March 1 through July 31, 2018 [except for (1) below]: Contact Period

      (1) April 9-12, 2018: Dead Period

Proposed New Calendar
If implemented Aug. 1, 2018-July 31, 2019

(Note: The earliest this could be implemented is for 2019-20.)

(a) August 1-19, 2018: Contact Period

(Effectively March 1-August 19 except Dead Periods)

(b) August 20 through September 13, 2018: Quiet Period

(c) September 14 through October 14, 2018: Contact Period

(d) October 15, 2018 through February 28, 2019 Quiet Period
[except for below]:

      (1) November 5-8, 2018: (NLI) Dead Period

      (2) January 3-6, 2019: (National Convention) Dead Period

(e) March 1 through July 31, 2019 [except for below]: Contact Period

      (1) April 8-11, 2018 (NLI) Dead Period

      (2) May 27-June 3, 2019 (Memorial Day through following Monday) Dead Period

      (3) June 15-17, 2019 (Day before through day after Father’s Day) Dead Period

      (4) July 3-5, 2019 Dead Period

Rationales For Recommended Changes

Dead Period Following Conference Tournaments – Allows for a regroup time for college coaches after the regular season and before the busy summer begins. Families can plan on a small window to possibly take a family vacation if they aren’t in the postseason. Unanimously recommended by Recruiting Summit Group.

Dead Period on the First Weekend of the College World Series – Allows for a small break to showcase the championship of our sport. The dates of the Dead Period are centered around Father’s Day. Unanimously recommended by Recruiting Summit Group.

Dead Period around Fourth of July – Allows for a small window in the summer for coaches to celebrate the Fourth of July with their families. Recommended in a 15-1 vote by Recruiting Summit Group.

Quiet Period late August to mid-September – Allows coaches to recover after a long summer of recruiting; be with their families; be present as their teams come back on campus and begin early fall workouts/skill hours.

Contact Period from mid-September to mid-October – Four-week period of early-fall recruiting. The group felt that any meaningful events that happen outside of this time could be moved into this time period, for both high school and junior college prospects.

Quiet Period from mid-October to March 1 – Allows coaches to be on campus and present for most/more of their team’s fall practice period or skill hours. This hopefully will encourage high school prospects to “shut down” earlier in the fall for much needed rest and arm care. It also gives coaches more work/life balance.

Final three recommendations voted on together, recommended in a 14-2 vote by Recruiting Summit Group.

Calendar Notes

  • Memorial Day is always the last Monday in May.
  • Father’s Day is always the third Sunday in June.