The NCAA Division I Council passed a rule Thursday that allows high school athletes to take an unlimited amount of official visits during their collegiate recruitment process.
The new rule will go into effect on Aug. 1 and will end the previous five official visits cap for high school recruits but will still limit recruits to one official visit per school. During official visits, athletic programs pay for recruits’ transportation and amenities for up to two nights and allow universities like GW to give recruits a taste of university life and athletics programs on campus.
“For young people considering where to go to college, visits to campus – both official and unofficial – are an integral part of the decision-making process,” Division I Council Chair Lynda Tealer said in a release. “This was an opportunity to modernize NCAA rules in a way that provides greater and more meaningful opportunities for prospects going through the recruitment process.”
The rule comes after the NCAA rearranged the recruiting calendar in April, allowing coaches to begin recruiting rising high school juniors on June 15 instead of Sept. 1. The change will also allow college coaches to reach out for in-person contact with recruits after Jan. 1 of their junior year, allowing up to 37 additional days between the spring and fall contact periods.
Men’s basketball prospects retain their own category and are still allowed to have two official visits to a college as long as it does not occur within the same academic year. The updated rules also dictate that official visits may last “no longer than a two-night stay,” and athletes might only be accompanied by up to two family members.
At GW, recruiting for men’s basketball is already well underway, with four players entering the transfer portal and star senior guard James Bishop announcing his return for a fifth year. To fill in the roster spots, Head Coach Chris Caputo welcomed in two transfers, freshman guard Benny Schröder from the University of Oklahoma and sophomore guard Garrett Johnson from Princeton.