Prospective Student-Athlete – A prospective student-athlete (“Prospect”) 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 relatives or friends) any financial assistance or other benefits that the institution does not generally provide to prospective students.
Recruiting – Recruiting is any solicitation of a prospect or a prospect’s relatives [or legal guardian(s)] by an institutional staff member or by a representative of the institution’s athletics interests for the purpose of securing the prospect’s enrollment and ultimate participation in the institution’s intercollegiate athletics program.
Contact – A contact is any face-to-face encounter between a prospect or the prospect’s parents, relatives or legal guardian(s) and an institutional staff member or athletics representative during which any dialogue occurs in excess of an exchange of a greeting.
Contact Period – A contact period is that period of time when it is permissible for authorized athletics department staff members to make in-person, off-campus recruiting contacts and evaluations.
Evaluation – An evaluation is any off-campus activity designed to assess the academic qualifications or athletics ability of a prospect, including any visit to a prospect’s educational institution (during which no contact occurs) or the observation of a prospect participation in any practice or competition at any site.
Evaluation Period – An evaluation period is that 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 prospects. No in-person, off-campus recruiting shall be made with the prospect during an evaluation period.
Quiet Period – A quiet period is that period of time when it is permissible to make in-person recruiting contacts only on the member 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 that period of time when it is not permissible to make in-person recruiting contacts or evaluations on or off the member institution’s campus or to permit official or unofficial visits by prospect to the institutions campus.
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.
Unofficial Visit – An unofficial visit to a member institution by a prospective student-athlete is a visit made at the prospect’s own expense.