What is the NCAA Dead Period? Explaining the dead period in college football recruiting that starts on June 27

The NCAA Dead Period will begin on June 27th, preventing college football programs from speaking with recruits in person. Take a look at what the period means for programs.

What is the NCAA Dead Period?

The Next College Student Athlete College Recruiting website describes the NCAA Dead Period as:

"The most restrictive of all the recruiting periods is the NCAA Dead Period. During the dead period, coaches may not have any in-person contact with recruits and/or their parents.

"In other words, coaches are not allowed to talk to recruits at their college campus, the athlete’s school, an athletic camp or even the grocery store.

"While the term “dead period” makes it seem like all recruiting stops during this time, that’s actually not the case. Athletes and coaches are still allowed to communicate via phone, email, social media and other digital communication channels.

"While NCAA Division 1 programs are prohibited from conducting any in-person recruiting, D1 college coaches can still contact student-athletes via digital forms of communication during the dead period."

While recruits are able to speak with college programs and coaching staff digitally, they are unable to meet with them in person. The dead period is designed to give athletes a break from recruiting to allow them to weigh their options and decide which program is the best fit. The dead period will last from June 27th through July 24th.

What will happen after the NCAA Dead Period?

The NCAA Dead Period will be followed by the quiet period which allows teams to hold visits with recruits. The in-person visits are only allowed to happen on campus as teams are not allowed to meet with recruits at the athlete's home or anywhere else off campus.

The quiet period lasts until July 31st, at which point the 2023-2024 recruiting calender will come into effect.

Have there ever been NCAA Dead Period violations?

Several programs have been investigated for violating the NCAA Dead Period rules before. The Michigan Wolverines are currently under investigation for impermissible contact made with two prospects during the COVID-19 dead period.

The LSU Tigers were recently placed on probation for one year for violations that occurred during the same period. They faced a reduction in official visits and offensive line coach James Cregg was given a three-year show-cause penalty.

Finally, the Air Force Falcons were placed on probation for two years for violations that also occurred during the same period. The Falcons faced a reduction in official visits as four former coaches violated the recruiting rules.