NCAA approves recruiting timeline change
By Michael Caples –
Last weekend, the NCAA Board of Directors signed off on a major change in the date that college hockey programs can contact recruits.
Effective immediately, college hockey coaches can reach out to prospective players beginning on Jan. 1 of their 10th grade year – five and a half months earlier than the previous rule.
The most significant part of the rule change is that NCAA coaches will now be able to contact recruits before they are drafted in the Canadian Hockey League.
The new rule also removes limits on the number of telephone calls, emails, social media direct messages and text messages that coaches can send to prospective student-athletes beginning Jan. 1 of their 10th grade year.