When does college soccer recruiting start?

For the player, in ninth and tenth grade: that is when to build a list and a video and start writing. For NCAA Division I coaches, calls and messages start on June 15 after sophomore year.

When can college soccer coaches contact you?

Division I: calls, messages and recruiting materials from June 15 after sophomore year, and off-campus contact from August 1 before junior year. Division II: messages at any time, and in-person contact from June 15 before junior year. Division III: materials at any time, and off-campus contact after sophomore year.

Can a freshman or sophomore email a Division I coach?

Yes. The limit is on the coach, not the player. Before June 15 after sophomore year a Division I coach may only reply with information that does not begin recruiting, and may send camp information.

When do college soccer coaches make offers?

Verbal offers have no set date. A written offer of athletics aid from a Division I program may not come before August 1 of senior year.

Is the timeline different for girls and boys?

The NCAA dates in this guide are the same for women’s and men’s soccer. Only the dead periods on the yearly calendar differ between the two.

Guides

Grade by grade

The college soccer recruiting timeline, by grade

The short answer

Ninth and tenth grade are for building a list and a video and writing to coaches. Division I coaches may call and message from June 15 after sophomore year, and may meet a player off campus, host visits and talk recruiting at camps from August 1 before junior year. Written Division I offers come from August 1 of senior year, and the first signing date in 2026-27 is November 11, 2026.

Sources last checked October 5, 2026

Pictured: Northern Colorado, women’s, 2015

Ad. jordan · CC BY-SA 4.0

The dates that open each step
Division I: calls, messages, recruiting materials	June 15 after sophomore year (Bylaws 13.1.3.1 and 13.4.1)
Division I: off-campus contact	August 1 before junior year (Bylaw 13.1.1.1)
Division I: official visits	August 1 of junior year (Bylaw 13.6.2.1.1)
Division I: written offer of aid	August 1 of senior year (Bylaw 13.9.3.1)
Division II: in-person contact and official visits	June 15 before junior year (Bylaw 13.1.1.1)
Division III: official visits	January 1 of junior year (Bylaw 13.6.1.1.1)
First signing date, 2026-27	November 11, 2026 (Bylaw 13.02.13 and Figure 13-2)

A “year” here is a year of high school. The dates are the same for men’s and women’s soccer.

What should a freshman do?

Play, and get your grades right from the first semester: the GPA a college sees starts now. Nothing has to be sent to a coach this year.

Learn what the levels are and how many programs each has: D1 vs D2 vs D3 vs NAIA.
Start saving game film. You do not need a finished video yet, only the raw footage.
Take the right classes. NCAA Division I and II count 16 core courses (grades and eligibility).

What should a sophomore do?

This is the year the work starts. Build a first list, cut a first video and write to coaches, so that when the Division I date arrives they already know who you are.

Build a list at more than one level. Get a free target list or start from the program lists.
Cut a highlight video and a one-page profile.
Send a first email to each program, and fill in the recruiting questionnaire on its website.
Pick one or two ID camps at schools high on the list.

Division II coaches may reply to messages at any time (Bylaw 13.1.3.1), and Division III coaches may send materials at any time (Bylaw 13.4.1), so those coaches are free to answer a sophomore.

What changes on June 15 after sophomore year?

It is the first day a Division I coach may call a player, send electronic messages and send recruiting materials (Bylaws 13.1.3.1 and 13.4.1), and the first day a coach may take a call from the player (Bylaw 13.1.3.2.5). A coach can only call the players they already know about, which is the reason to write before this date.

The same date opens Division II in-person contact and expense-paid visits: June 15 before junior year (Bylaw 13.1.1.1) and Bylaw 13.3.1.2.

What happens in junior year?

Junior year is when the visits and the serious conversations happen. From August 1 before junior year, a Division I coach may meet a player away from campus (Bylaw 13.1.1.1), pay for an official visit (Bylaw 13.6.2.1.1), host an unofficial visit with the athletics staff involved (Bylaw 13.7.1.1) and have a recruiting conversation at the school’s own camp (Bylaw 13.12.1.5.1).

What opens, and when

When	What opens	Level	Rule
June 15 after sophomore year	What opensCalls, messages, recruiting materials	LevelDivision I	RuleBylaws 13.1.3.1 and 13.4.1
June 15 before junior year	What opensIn-person contact, official visits, one tryout	LevelDivision II	RuleBylaw 13.1.1.1; Bylaw 13.3.1.2; Bylaw 13.8.2.1
August 1 before junior year	What opensOff-campus contact, visits, camp conversations	LevelDivision I	RuleBylaw 13.1.1.1; Bylaw 13.6.2.1.1
after sophomore year	What opensOff-campus contact	LevelDivision III	RuleBylaw 13.1.1.1
January 1 of junior year	What opensOfficial visits	LevelDivision III	RuleBylaw 13.6.1.1.1
August 1 of senior year	What opensWritten offer of athletics aid	LevelDivision I	RuleBylaw 13.9.3.1

Keep writing through the year: new video after each season, your schedule before each showcase. See how to follow up and the questions to ask when a coach calls.

What happens in senior year?

A Division I program may put an offer of athletics aid in writing from August 1 of senior year (Bylaw 13.9.3.1). The first day a player may sign an athletics aid agreement with a Division I or II school in 2026-27 is November 11, 2026 (Bylaw 13.02.13 and Figure 13-2). Before signing, a commitment is verbal, and the NCAA’s guide says a verbal commitment is not binding on the player or the school.

Signing day is not the end of recruiting. A program that still has room keeps looking after that date, at every level. If you are a senior without a place, read is it too late to get recruited?.

Q&AQuick answers

When does college soccer recruiting start?: For the player, in ninth and tenth grade: that is when to build a list and a video and start writing. For NCAA Division I coaches, calls and messages start on June 15 after sophomore year.
When can college soccer coaches contact you?: Division I: calls, messages and recruiting materials from June 15 after sophomore year, and off-campus contact from August 1 before junior year. Division II: messages at any time, and in-person contact from June 15 before junior year. Division III: materials at any time, and off-campus contact after sophomore year.
Can a freshman or sophomore email a Division I coach?: Yes. The limit is on the coach, not the player. Before June 15 after sophomore year a Division I coach may only reply with information that does not begin recruiting, and may send camp information.
When do college soccer coaches make offers?: Verbal offers have no set date. A written offer of athletics aid from a Division I program may not come before August 1 of senior year.
Is the timeline different for girls and boys?: The NCAA dates in this guide are the same for women’s and men’s soccer. Only the dead periods on the yearly calendar differ between the two.

Sources

Last checked against these sources onOctober 5, 2026. Figures marked Startline are counted from the data we hold and move when it does. Rules change: check anything dated against the governing body itself.

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