Compliance Information: Prospective Student-Athletes

Goucher College is an NCAA Division III institution and is governed by the rules of the NCAA. This includes rules regarding the recruitment of prospective student-athletes.

What is an official visit?

• An official visit to an institution by a prospective student-athlete (prospect) is a visit financed in whole or in part by the member institution or by a representative of the institution's athletic interests.
• An institution may finance only one visit to its campus for each prospect.
• A prospect may not be provided an official visit earlier than the opening day of classes of the prospective student-athlete's senior year in high school.

What is an unofficial visit?

• An unofficial visit to an institution by a prospect is a visit made at the prospect's own expense.
• A prospect may visit a member institution's campus at his or her own expense, an unlimited number of times.
• A prospect may make unofficial visits before his or her senior year in high school.

What kind of contact can I have with a coach?

• In Division III, coaches can call, write, or email you before your senior year, which is different from Division I and II.
• Coaches can also speak with you while you are on campus at any time.
• They may NOT speak with you off campus until you have completed your junior year. (see below for additional notes about contact off campus at a competition site)

What is the NCAA rule regarding texting and Social Media?

• You may send and receive text messages. 
• You should not 'be friended' on social networking sites by coaches, current student-athletes, or boosters from Goucher.
• You may follow a Twitter account for our sports and may remove yourself as a follower at any time.

Off-Campus Contacts at a Competition:

• First, a college coach is only allowed to speak in person off campus to those prospective student-athletes who have completed his/her junior year.
• Second, a college coach may only meet with the prospect after the competition is over, when the prospect is finished with the tournament, game, or meet. Contact shall not be made with the prospect from the time the prospect reports on call (at the direction of the prospect's coach or comparable authority) and becomes involved in competition-related activity (e.g., traveling to an away-from-home game) to the end of the competition, even if such competition-related activities are initiated before the day or days of competition. Contact shall not be made after the competition until the prospect is released by the appropriate coach and departs the dressing and meeting facility. If the competition is over multiple days, contact shall not be made with the prospect until after the prospect's final contest is completed and he or she is released by the appropriate institutional authority and leaves the dressing and meeting facility.

Do I need to go through the NCAA Clearinghouse to be recruited?

• No, you do not have to go through the NCAA Clearinghouse to be recruited and/or participate at any Division III school.