NCAA extends recruiting dead period through end of July

The NCAA D1 Council voted Wednesday to extend the recruiting dead period amid concerns surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.

The NCAA D1 Council has voted to extend the recruiting dead period for all sports through the end of July Wednesday. It had already been extended through the end of June during the last extension, after originally setting a date of May 31.

This comes at a time when the same council of decision-makers that shape intercollegiate athletics recently voted to allow voluntary on-campus workouts as of June 1. With that news, many athletic programs — including Ohio State — have begun to plan for the arrival of athletes in a slow reopening.

The extension of the recruiting dead period doesn’t affect college football as much as it does basketball. The final nine days of June through July 24 was scheduled to be a quiet period anyhow. For college basketball however, the decision pretty much shuts down the annual evaluation period.

Coaches can still contact recruits through telephone and text, just no in-person visits.

Here is the complete release from the council’s decision.

“The Division I Council Coordination Committee extended the recruiting dead period for all sports through July 31,” the NCAA said in a statement. “The committee also determined that starting June 1 strength and conditioning coaches may virtually observe voluntary physical workouts for health and safety purposes, but only if requested by the student-athlete.”