Compliance - Prospects - University of Arizona Athletics

PROSPECTIVE STUDENT-ATHLETES:

Thank you for your interest in participating in athletics at the University of Arizona. The recruiting process may seem complicated at times, but the compliance office aims to provide helpful information to facilitate the transition into collegiate athletics.

This site has been created to be a useful source of information and assistance regarding various topics ranging from recruiting to eligibility. We hope that you find the information useful, and if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the compliance office at (520) 621-4796.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

I am interested in trying out to be a Wildcat, how do I begin the tryout process?
If you are interested in becoming a Wildcat, please contact one of the coaches in your sport. Contact information for coaches may be found in our staff directory.

Who is a prospective student-athlete?
A prospective student-athlete is any student who has already started classes for the ninth grade.

What is a contact?
A contact occurs any time a college coach says more than hello during a face-to-face contact with a college-bound student-athlete or his or her parents off the college’s campus.

What is a contact period?
During a contact period a college coach may have face-to-face contact with college-bound student-athletes or their parents, watch student-athletes compete and visit their high schools, and write or telephone student-athletes or their parents.

What is an evaluation period?
During an evaluation period a college coach may watch college-bound student-athletes compete, visit their high schools, and write or telephone student-athletes or their parents. However, a college coach may not have face-to-face contact with college-bound student-athletes or their parents off the college’s campus during an evaluation period.

What is a quiet period?
During a quiet period a college coach may not have face-to-face contact with college-bound student-athletes or their parents, and may not watch student-athletes compete or visit their high schools. Coaches may write or telephone college-bound student-athletes or their parents during this time.

What is a dead period?
During a dead period a college coach may not have face-to-face contact with college-bound student-athletes or their parents, and may not watch student-athletes compete or visit their high schools. Coaches may write and telephone student-athletes or their parents during a dead period.

What is the difference between an official visit and an unofficial visit?
Any visit to a college campus by a college-bound student-athlete or his or her parents paid for by the college is an official visit. Visits paid for by college-bound student-athletes or their parents are unofficial visits.

During an official visit the college can pay for transportation to and from the college for the prospect, lodging and three meals per day for the prospect and the parent or guardian, as well as reasonable entertainment expenses including three tickets to a home sports event. There are some sport specific exceptions that may apply.

The only expenses a college-bound student-athlete may receive from a college during an unofficial visit are three tickets to a home sports event.

What is a National Letter of Intent?
A National Letter of Intent is signed by a college-bound student-athlete when the student-athlete agrees to attend a Division I or II college or university for one academic year. Participating institutions agree to provide financial aid for one academic year to the student-athlete as long as the student-athlete is admitted to the school and is eligible for financial aid under NCAA rules. Other forms of financial aid do not guarantee the student-athlete financial aid.

The National Letter of Intent is voluntary and not required for a student-athlete to receive financial aid or participate in sports.

Signing a National Letter of Intent ends the recruiting process since participating schools are prohibited from recruiting student-athletes who have already signed letters with other participating schools.
A student-athlete who has signed a National Letter of Intent may request a release from his or her contract with the school. If a student-athlete signs a National Letter of Intent with one school but attends a different school, he or she will lose one full year of eligibility and must complete a full academic year at their new school before being eligible to compete.

What are recruiting calendars?
Recruiting calendars help promote the well-being prospective student-athletes and coaches and ensure competitive equity by defining certain time periods in which recruiting may or may not occur in a particular sport.

COVID-19 Announcement
On March 13, 2020, the NCAA announced that all Division I sports are in a dead period, prohibiting any in-person contact between an institutional staff member and a prospective student-athlete (PSA). By prohibiting all in-person recruiting activities, the temporary COVID-19 dead period aids in the fight against the pandemic by protecting the health and safety of both PSA and Arizona Athletics staff members. The temporary COVID-19 dead period is currently in place through April 15, 2021.

Interested in visiting campus? Unfortunately, coaches cannot have any contact due to recruiting period restrictions. But if you plan on visiting campus on your own, you must complete the COVID-19 Dead Period Campus Visit Form and send to ica-compliance@email.arizona.edu #BearDownMaskUp

RESOURCES:

UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA ADMISSIONS