One of the things we focus on at College Prospect Network is ensuring no recruiting violations occur on our website. We strive to maintain an environment where Head Coaches can give an Assistant Coach or scout access to the site without having to worry about them breaking a rule that can get the program in trouble. We also want high school and AAU coaches, parents and athletes to know that they are not going to make a mistake that may jeopardize the athlete’s eligibility.

(If you were looking for the NCAA recruiting calendar for basketball, click here.)

College Prospect Network’s messaging system follows the NCAA recruiting calendar but here are some of the important dates you need to know for September 2012:

Division I Football

• Limited Evaluation Period – DI football programs are allowed 42 evaluation days from August 1st – November 24th. Coaches and off-campus recruiters have to specify the 42 days they are going to use for evaluation and they cannot visit a particular prospect’s campus more than once during this period. Other than that, it is a quiet period.
• The exception to this rule is US service academies, which get 54 days for evaluation during the same period.

Division II Football

• Quiet Period – Most high schools and junior colleges have started practice by this time. But, just in case the prospect is at a school that has not opened Fall practice, this is a quiet period.
• Evaluation Period – According to the NCAA recruiting calendar, the rest of the month is an evaluation period.

Division III Football

• There are currently no limitations on DIII programs but proposals are on the table to “tug on the reins“. The idea is to ease the demand on Division III programs and ensure that players are not bombarded with constant recruiting attention.

NAIA, Junior College and NCCAA

There are virtually no restrictions on NAIA and NCCAA programs. The guidelines for junior colleges can differ depending on the state you live in so leave a comment below if you have a specific question and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

All of the dates listed above come from www.ncaa.org and are accurate as of August 31st, 2012. If you want to know more about how College Prospect Network helps their member athletes and colleges avoid recruiting violations, you can use the Contact Us page on our website. We will usually respond within one business day but may need a little more time if your NCAA recruiting calendar question is very detailed or specific.

When we tell high school or AAU coaches that our website, College Prospect Network, is completely free for their athletes, many of them are skeptical and say something along the lines of, “I’ve heard this before. You may not charge them to join the site but you WILL ask for money in the future.” We understand the skepticism because there are other websites out there that claim to be free but they charge money to promote paying athletes ahead of athletes with a free profile.

We don’t do that and we never will. College Prospect Network is truly different and we are here to help athletes and the college programs that need them.

We believe that you will understand why the service is free for athletes and their parents once you get to know us a little better. You may have read our Vice president’s story about what inspired him to start the site and now we would like to share our CEO’s inspiration: his brother.

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I played football in high school but I was under no misconceptions about my level of talent. I was good enough to start on varsity for St. John Vianney of New Jersey but I knew that was as far as my football-playing career was going. My brother, on the other hand, was a tremendous football player and could have definitely contributed at the next level.

His name is Pat and he was every bit the athlete that I was not. As a high school junior he was 6’1″ and already weighed 225 pounds. He played all over the offensive line, mostly at center, but the defensive side of the ball was where he truly flourished.

Throughout his time on varsity, he played every position on the defensive line, inside and outside linebacker and both safety spots. He basically did everything except play cornerback. He was a three-year letterman, two-year starter and Team Captain his senior year because of his leadership, work ethic and unbelievable motor.

Every weekend I would leave college and drive to wherever he was playing because it made me proud to watch him play. I remember thinking, “Man, this kid has it all. He’s the total package. Why aren’t colleges beating the door down to sign him?”

The answer was pretty obvious now that I know more about the recruiting process. While Pat did have it all on the field and in the classroom, there was a lot that he did not have. Namely: game film, highlight tapes, a recruiting profile, college coaches’ contact information and a clear idea of how to get his name out to coaches and scouts. The thing is, his natural position was Defensive End but, at 6’1″, he was a little under-sized for top-tier Division I programs to pay much attention to him. The schools that needed to see him were the same schools that didn’t have the budget and manpower to get out to Holmdel, NJ to find him.

Once he graduated I stopped thinking about the fact that he should have been recruited. He has done pretty well for himself so it was never a big deal to me. But then I had a revealing conversation with my father about some of the things he missed about having his family all under one roof. Surprisingly, watching Pat play football was one of the first things he mentioned.

It turns out that my father was just as proud of Pat when he played football as I was but for very different reasons.

My father, who came over from Italy when he was a teenager, never knew much about football and never really cared to learn about it. He went to all my games but it still didn’t resonate with him until Pat started playing. As I mentioned earlier, my brother had tremendous heart. He was one of the most intense, fierce competitors I have ever seen on a field, court or pitch. My father didn’t need to know much about the rules of game to appreciate Pat’s near-maniacal competitiveness; he simply loved to watch my brother attack ball carriers and blockers with everything he had. No matter the play or the score, Pat played as if it was his last time to be on a field.

When I told Pat about the conversation with my father, he agreed that he would have liked to continue his playing career for another four years. It is highly unlikely that he had any potential to play professionally but just having those four additional years would have been great for him. And for my father.

– Dominick Lombardi, CEO – College prospect Network

If College Prospect Network would have been around in time to help Pat increase his exposure to college coaches and scouts, we believe he would have had a solid, rewarding playing career in college. The good news is: it’s here now and your athletes/sons/daughters/friends don’t have to go unnoticed anymore. We are growing every week and so is our capacity to help an ever-increasing number of athletes and colleges.

I’m not going to post my email address here to avoid spam but, if you want to contact me, please use the Contact Us page on our website. Also, if you want to share your story, please leave a comment and we will let you know how to do so.

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