USF Athletics

Contact Defined
A contact is any face-to-face encounter between a prospective student-athlete or the prospective student-athlete’s parents, relatives or legal guardians and an institutional staff member or athletics representative during which any dialogue occurs in excess of an exchange of a greeting.

Recruiting Opportunities

• Sports other than football & basketball - Limit of seven recruiting opportunities (contacts and evaluations combined) per prospective student-athlete.
  • During the senior year of high school, not more than three of the seven opportunities may be off-campus contacts at any site and shall include contacts with the prospective student-athlete’s relatives or legal guardians, but shall not include contacts made during an official visit or an unofficial visit.
• Football - Limit of six in-person, off-campus recruiting contacts per prospective student-athlete at any site and shall include contacts made with the prospective student-athlete’s relatives or legal guardians, but shall not include contacts made during an official visit or an unofficial visit.
• Men's Basketball -  During the academic year, each institution shall be limited to seven recruiting opportunities (contacts and evaluations combined) per prospective student-athlete. A contact made during an official visit or an unofficial visit does not count as a recruiting opportunity.
  • Men’s basketball staff members shall not exceed 130 recruiting-person days during the academic year.
    • Exception - April Evaluation Periods - April evaluation period shall not count as a recruiting opportunity.
• Women’s Basketball - During the academic year, each institution shall be limited to seven recruiting opportunities (contacts and evaluations combined) per prospective student-athlete. A contact made during an official visit or an unofficial visit does not count as a recruiting opportunity.
  • Women’s basketball staff members shall not exceed 112 recruiting-person days each year (measured August 1 through July 31).
    • Exception - July Evaluation Periods - July evaluation periods does not count toward the limitation.

Time Period for Off-Campus Contact with Individuals

• General Rule - July 1st after completion of junior year in high school.
• Men's Basketball - Opening day of his junior year in high school.
  • Contacts that occur during a prospective student-athlete’s junior year during recruiting periods other than the April recruiting period may occur only at the prospective student-athlete’s educational institution.
  • During the April recruiting period of a prospective student-athlete’s junior year, contacts may occur at either the prospective student-athlete’s educational institution or residence.
• Women's Basketball - March 1st of her junior year in high school.  
  • Contacts with a high school junior may occur from March 1 of her junior year through the day before the official start of the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association Convention (through 11:59 p.m. in the prospective student-athlete’s locale).
  • Contacts that occur during a prospective student-athlete’s junior year may occur only at the prospective student-athlete’s educational institution or residence. 
• Two-Year College Prospective Student-Athletes - A prospective student-athlete who was not a qualifier and who is in his or her first year of full-time enrollment (first two semesters or three quarters) at a two-year college may not be contacted in person on or off an institution’s campus for recruiting purposes.
• Four-Year College Prospective Student-Athletes - USF must have written permission from that institution’s athletics director (or an athletics administrator designated by the athletics director).

More Compliance

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