An NCAA Division I committee recently passed a blanket waiver regarding telephone and internet calls made during the ongoing COVID-19 dead period for 2021 FBS and FCS football recruits. Under the previous dead period rules, schools had a cap on the number of times they could call prospects between April 15th and May 31st.
The waiver that was passed now allows for unlimited calls.
Here is part of the release from the NCAA Division I Committee for Legislative Relief:
"This waiver permits an institutional coaching staff member to make telephone calls to prospective student- athletes (e.g., high school, two-year and four-year transfer student-athletes) at their discretion rom May 2020, through the conclusion of the COVID-19 recruiting dead period.
In granting this request, the NCAA Division I Committee for Legislative Relief Administrative Committee noted:
1) This is a one-time waiver request, applicable during the COVID-19 recruiting dead period;
2) The COVID-19 pandemic, specifically noting official and unofficial visits are not permissible during the COVID-19 recruiting dead period;
3) An institution may not make telephone calls to an individual prior to April 15 of their junior year of high school; and
4) The blanket waiver was reviewed and supported by the NCAA Division I Football Oversight Committee."
See the full release from the NCAA here.
The 2021 recruiting class is going to be an interesting one to keep an eye on as they eventually report to campus and go through their college careers because they were not allowed the same luxury of getting on campus for official visits and having coaches in their homes as previous (and future) recruiting classes due to the federal, state, and NCAA restrictions put in place following the COVID-19 pandemic.
Despite the recruiting restrictions, and having to go to virtual methods as no face-to-face contact between coaches and recruits has been permitted for around two months now, USA Today points out that over 600 recruits in the 2021 class (and 286 at the Power 5 level) have verbally committed to a respective FBS program, which is double what we've seen in the past two recruiting cycles.
While coaches have been limited in how they talk with recruits, what staffs have found more of is time to connect with recruits with the absence of spring ball and time at home instead of in the office. Now, with the waiver that lifts restrictions on phone calls, we may be seeing just the beginning of the surge of early verbal commitments.
Stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.