Football Recruiting Information

Many high school athletes hope to be recruited by a college football program.

For high school football players hoping to play after they graduate, the recruiting process is very important. Gaining a full or partial football scholarship not only enables an athlete to play football in college, but it alleviates some of the financial strain of getting a college education. There are several key things all football players interested in being recruited should know.

Recruiting Calendar

NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) football programs must follow specific guidelines while recruiting and there are limits on the number of players they can recruit and sign. This allows schools with smaller budgets the chance to gain the attention of standout recruits. There are four types of periods in the recruiting schedule: quiet periods, dead periods, evaluation periods and contact periods. The football recruiting calendar can change each year, according to whether the NCAA adopts new bylaws or changes its signing dates.

Scholarships

Each NCAA and NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) school has a certain amount of football scholarships they are allowed to offer each year. Each NAIA school has its own guidelines regarding scholarships, so you'll need to contact the programs that interest you to find out more information. NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A) programs are allowed to give out up to 85 scholarships as of 2010 and Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) schools are allotted 63 scholarships. NCAA Division II schools can award a maximum of 36 scholarships.

Questionnaires

Football questionnaires are used by schools to evaluate potential players on a basic level. Either online or in paper form, information is requested about the player's high school, college test scores, family, and statistics such as height, weight, position and speed in the 40-yard dash. Small colleges and large universities with well-known football programs use questionnaires, making them important to fill out and return. If you are not sent a questionnaire by the program that interests you, see if they have one online and fill it out.

The NLI

The NLI, commonly known as the National Letter of Intent or Letter of Intent, is an essential part of the football recruiting process. An NLI is what football players sign when they decide to attend a certain school, and it contains information regarding the athlete's scholarship. Before signing an NLI, it is important to know the consequences should you choose to back out of it after signing. Players can face penalties if they break their NLI commitments, including loss of a season of eligibility and a mandatory residence requirement.

Recruiting Aids

Recruiting aids are used by some high school athletes to gain the attention of the football programs that interest them. These aids include video recording and distribution services, which tape players' games and send to colleges, and website services that archive an athlete's video footage, photos and stats. It is not against NCAA or NAIA rules to pay for or use recruiting aids, but using such services does not guarantee that an athlete will get to play for the program of his choice.

References

• National Collegiate Athletic Association: Recruiting
• Recruiting 101: Football Recruiting Questionnaires: Their importance and should I fill them out?
• National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics: NAIA Recruiting Rules