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Transfer Information
Guide for College-Bound Student Athletes
NCAA Eligibility Center
USC Admissions

Official Visit

An official visit to a member institution by a prospective student-athlete is a visit financed in whole or in part by the member institution. An institution is only able to finance one official visit per prospect to its institution. Before an official visit can take place, the recruit will have to provide the institution with a copy of their transcript and has to be registered with the NCAA Eligibility Center.

First Opportunity for an Official Visit:

• Men’s Basketball – August 1 of Junior Year of High School
• Women’s Basketball – January 1 of Junior Year of High School
• Football – April 1 of Junior Year of High School
• Baseball & Softball – September 1 of Junior Year of High School
• All Other Sports – August 1 of Junior Year of High School

Unofficial Visit

Any visit paid for by the recruit and/or their guests. The only expense that can be provided is three complimentary admissions to a home athletics contest. A prospect may visit a member institution’s campus at his or her expense an unlimited number of times, but not before the first opportunity to take an unofficial visit as defined by NCAA rules.

First Opportunity for an Unofficial Visit:

• Men’s Basketball – Not before August 1 of the Sophomore Year of High School
• Women’s Basketball – Anytime (not during a Dead or Recruiting Shutdown Period)
• Football – Anytime (not during a Dead or Recruiting Shutdown Period)
• Baseball & Softball – Not before September 1 of the Junior Year of High School
• All Other Sports – Not before August 1 of the Junior Year of High School

Prospective Student-Athletes

A prospective student-athlete is a student who has started classes for the ninth grade. In addition, a student who has not started classes for the ninth grade becomes a prospective student-athlete if the institution provides such an individual (or the individual’s family members or friends) any financial assistance or other benefits that the institution does not provide to prospective students generally. An individual remains a prospective student-athlete until:

• The individual signs the institution’s written offer of admission and/or financial aid or the institution receives the individual’s financial deposit in response to its offer of admission, completes all high school graduation requirements or all transfer academic eligibility requirements and receives benefits or expenses from the institution that may be provided to a student-athlete;
• The individual participates in summer athletic activities, or regular squad practice or competition that occurs before the beginning of any term at the institution;
• The individual enrolls in and attends classes during the institution’s summer term before initial full-time enrollment or enrolls in a minimum full-time program of studies and attends classes in a regular term at the institution; or
• The individual reports to an institutional orientation session that is open to all incoming students within 14 calendar days prior to the opening day of classes of a regular academic year term.

Recruited Prospective Student-Athlete

Actions by staff members or athletics representatives that cause a prospective student-athlete to become a recruited prospective student-athlete at that institution are:

• Providing the prospective student-athlete with an official visit;
• Having an arranged, in-person, off-campus encounter with the prospective student-athlete or the prospective student-athlete’s family members; or
• Issuing the institution’s written offer of athletically related financial aid to the prospective student-athlete. Issuing a written offer of athletically related financial aid to a prospective student-athlete to attend a summer session prior to full-time enrollment does not cause the prospective student-athlete to become recruited.

Evaluation
An evaluation is an activity by a coach to evaluate your academic or athletics ability. This would include visiting your high school or watching you practice or compete.

Evaluation Period

An evaluation period is a period of time when it is permissible for authorized athletics department staff members to be involved in off-campus activities designed to assess the academic qualifications and playing ability of prospective student-athletes. No in-person, off-campus recruiting contacts shall be made with the prospective student-athlete during an evaluation period.

Contact
A contact occurs any time a coach has any face-to-face contact with you or your parents off the college’s campus and says more than hello. A contact also occurs if a coach has any contact with you or your parents at your high school or any location where you are competing or practicing.

Contact Period

A contact period is a period of time when it is permissible for authorized athletics department staff members to make in-person, off-campus recruiting contacts and evaluations.

Recruiting Period – Men’s Basketball

In men’s basketball, a recruiting period is a period of time when it is permissible for authorized athletics department staff members to make in-person, off-campus recruiting contacts and evaluations.

Quiet Period

A quiet period is a period of time when it is permissible to make in-person recruiting contacts only on the institution’s campus. No in-person, off-campus recruiting contacts or evaluations may be made during the quiet period.

Dead Period
A dead period is a period of time when it is not permissible to make in-person recruiting contacts or evaluations on or off the institution’s campus or to permit official or unofficial visits by prospective student-athletes to the institution’s campus. It remains permissible, however, for an institutional staff member to communicate with (other than in person) a prospective student-athlete during a dead period.