Your Complete College Recruiting Plan
monthly Newsletter
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
We won’t share your data with third parties. Ever.
© Copyright Pathley.ai
Browse programs
College directoryEvery program, filtered by what fits Sport directoryMen's and women's, every division State directoryPrograms in the states you would play inGo deeper
Major directoryYour major and your sport in one list Camp directoryID camps and showcases at college programs How Pathley comparesThe old way versus a finished planA grade-by-grade roadmap for every sport and division we cover. See when coaches start evaluating, when contact opens, and what to focus on in each year of high school.
135 timelines across 20 sports and 4 divisions
Recruiting does not run on one schedule. The year a coach can first contact you, the point where roster spots start filling, and how late you can still be recruited all change depending on the division you are targeting and the sport you play. A Division I volleyball roster is largely set before a Division III coach has even started building a list.
That is why every timeline here is specific to one sport, one gender, and one division. Each page walks through what happens from 8th grade through senior year, what coaches in that sport are actually evaluating at each stage, and the habits that help or hurt you along the way.
The broad shape of each division's recruiting calendar. Contact dates vary by sport within each division, so check your sport's page for the rules that apply to you. Rules current as of September 2026.
| Division | When coaches can first contact you | Athletic aid | When rosters fill |
|---|---|---|---|
| NCAA D1 | The most restricted of the four. Most sports open on June 15 after sophomore year for calls, texts and emails. Football, softball and lacrosse wait until September 1 of junior year, and baseball and men's ice hockey run on their own dates. Official visits and off-campus contact usually open August 1 before junior year. | Since July 1, 2025 the old sport-by-sport scholarship caps are gone at schools that opted into the House settlement. Those programs now work to a roster limit instead and can fund every spot on it. Schools that opted out still use the older scholarship limits. | Earliest |
| NCAA D2 | Since August 1, 2024, D2 coaches can call, text, email and message you at any age, with no waiting date. What is still gated is in-person contact: off-campus meetings and official visits open June 15 before your junior year. | Scholarships available on an equivalency basis, so awards are usually partial and stacked with academic and need-based aid. | Moderate |
| NCAA D3 | Almost no limits on calls, emails and texts, so a coach can talk to you at any age. Off-campus contact opens after sophomore year and official visits open January 1 of junior year. There are no dead periods. | No athletic scholarships. Academic awards, need-based aid and merit money carry the financial conversation instead. | Later |
| NAIA | No contact date restrictions at all. An NAIA coach can call a freshman or a senior whenever they want, and there is no recruiting calendar to work around. | Scholarships available and often packaged flexibly alongside academic aid. | Latest |
Pick your sport, then the division you are targeting. If you are not sure which division fits yet, start with the one closest to your current level and read across.
A timeline tells you when things happen. The Pathley Recruiting Plan tells you what to do about it: 20 to 25 best-fit colleges in your sport, per-school analysis, position roster analysis, coach emails, and your own dated task list. Delivered in 24 hours.