Most families learn recruiting one deadline at a time. This plan gives you the whole thing up front, in two parts that match how Mammoth Recruit tracks it:
- Your yearly checklist: the player’s own steps, grade by grade, across sports, academics and, senior year, admissions and financial aid.
- Your school checklist: the recruiting, admissions and financial aid steps to complete for each college on your list. They’re the same steps as the school trackers in the Mammoth Recruit iPhone and web apps.
Key dates for men’s basketball
You can email coaches, fill out questionnaires and go to camps at any age. The NCAA rules control when coaches can reach out to you.
| What | When |
|---|---|
| D1 calls, texts, recruiting material and verbal offers | June 15 after 10th grade |
| D1 official visits | August 1 before 11th grade |
| D1 live evaluation events | April, June and July (dates vary by year) |
| D2 calls, texts and contact | June 15 after 10th grade |
| D3 contact | Any time; in-person off-campus contact after 10th grade. Official visits from January 1 of 11th grade. |
| NAIA | No national calendar; school and conference rules |
Dates change by year. Confirm the current calendar at NCAA.org and with each school’s compliance office.
The four-year calendar
The video builds one road, month by month, from freshman August to the summer after graduation. Each year stacks the same topics in the same colors: sports, recruiting and training in red; academics and testing in gold; admissions and financial aid in blue, senior year only.
Your yearly checklist
Each year builds on the last, the same way the video does. Each calendar comes straight from the video; the checklist under it spells out what to do.
Freshman Build
Build the foundation
Sports · recruiting · training
- Set training goals and work on your skills and strength every off-season
- Choose a club or travel team for development, training and mentoring, not just the biggest name
- Start a broad college list across D1, D2, D3, NAIA and high academic schools
- Fill out recruiting questionnaires for schools on your list
- Attend a camp at a school you like
- Create your free NCAA Eligibility Center Profile Page
Academics · AP · SAT · ACT
- Meet your counselor and confirm your NCAA core courses (not every class counts)
- Grades count from day one: build your core GPA
- Take the PSAT (fall or spring) as a baseline
Key moment: Best fit beats biggest name: development, training and mentoring.
Sophomore Plan
Plan
Sports · recruiting · training
- Film your games and make your first highlight video
- Build your recruiting profile so coaches can see everything in one link
- Start emailing the coaches on your target list
- Pick camps and showcases where your target coaches recruit
- June 15 after 10th grade: most D1 and D2 coaches can start calling, texting and making verbal offers. D1 official visits open August 1 before junior year.
Academics · AP · SAT · ACT
- Take honors and AP courses
- Take the PSAT/NMSQT in October or the PSAT 10 in March–April (the PSAT 10 doesn’t count for National Merit)
- Start SAT or ACT prep the summer after 10th grade
Key moment: June 15 after 10th grade: most D1 and D2 coaches can start talking with you.
Junior Recruit
The recruiting year
Sports · recruiting · training
- Upgrade to an NCAA Academic and Athletics Certification account (you need it before a D1 official visit)
- Register with the NAIA Eligibility Center if NAIA schools are on your list
- Get evaluated at spring and summer live events (April, June and July)
- Take official visits: D1 opens August 1 before junior year
- Expect offers and verbal commitments from the summer after 10th grade through the summer after 11th
- Update your highlight video with junior-season film
- Ask high academic schools for admissions and financial aid pre-reads (summer)
Academics · AP · SAT · ACT
- Take the hardest schedule you can handle
- Take the PSAT/NMSQT in October (only the junior score counts for National Merit)
- Prep for the SAT or ACT in the fall and test by spring
- For D1, finish 10 core courses (7 in English, math and science) before senior year
- Have your counselor upload your junior transcript when the year ends
Key moment: The critical window: athletic evaluations and academic pre-reads come together, spring through summer before senior year.
Senior Commit
Commit
Sports · recruiting · training
- Lead your team through your final season
- Take official visits, then commit
- Get offers in writing. A D1 or D2 commitment is official when you sign the athletics aid agreement (the National Letter of Intent was discontinued in 2024)
- Request your final NCAA certification (from April 1)
- Report to campus in the summer
Academics · AP · SAT · ACT
- Finish testing by October: final SAT and ACT dates come before applications
- Keep senior grades strong through AP exams and finals
- Have your counselor send your final transcript with proof of graduation
Admissions · financial aid
- Write essays and complete the Common App in the fall
- Early Decision 1 and Early Action: usually November 1. Early Decision 2 and Regular Decision: usually January
- Manage Early Decision rounds strategically with your coaches
- File the FAFSA and CSS Profile (both open October 1)
- Evaluate financial aid and merit scholarships at every school
Key moment: High academic recruits: manage Early Decision rounds strategically. Not in a fully funded headcount sport? Evaluate financial aid and merit scholarships at every school.
Your school checklist
For every college you favorite in Mammoth Recruit, the app tracks these steps in three trackers. Check them off as you go, and each step shows when it usually happens for that school’s level and your sport.
Recruiting 14 steps
Recruiting steps for every school on your list. Timing is typical for basketball; D1 dates follow your edition’s NCAA calendar.
| Step | What it means | D1 men’s basketball | Division III |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Research athletics program | Study the roster, coaching staff, style of play, recent results and where players come from. | 9th – 10th grade | 9th – 11th grade |
| 2Completed recruitment form | Fill out the program’s recruiting questionnaire on its athletics site. | 9th – 10th grade | 9th – 11th grade |
| 3Initial email to coaches | A short intro: grad year, position, height, GPA, schedule and highlight link. | 9th spring – 10th fall | 10th fall – 11th spring |
| 4Shared NCAA ID with this school | Give the coaches your NCAA ID so they can add you to their recruiting list. | Summer after 10th – 11th winter | 11th – 12th grade, if asked |
| 5Response from coaches | A coach replies, calls or texts. | From June 15 after 10th | Any time |
| 6Camp invite received | Invited to a camp or evaluated in person. | Summer after 9th – summer after 10th | 10th winter – summer after 11th |
| 7Unofficial campus visit | A visit at your own expense. | Summer after 10th – summer after 11th | Any time; most in 11th – 12th |
| 8Official campus visit | A school-paid visit. Each school can host only one per athlete. | From August 1 before 11th | From Jan 1 of 11th; most in 12th fall |
| 9Admissions pre-read | Admissions reviews your transcript and scores early, mostly at high academic schools. | Rare (high academic D1: 11th fall – summer) | Summer after 11th |
| 10Financial aid pre-read | An estimate of need-based aid before you commit. | Before any commitment where aid matters | Summer after 11th – 12th fall |
| 11Athletic offer received | A coach offers a roster spot, athletic aid or admissions support. | Summer after 10th – summer after 11th | 12th fall |
| 12Athletic admissions support | The coach supports your application with admissions. | 11th – 12th fall | 12th fall (often Early Decision) |
| 13Verbal commitment | You tell the coach you’re coming. It isn’t binding on either side. | Summer after 10th – 12th fall | 12th fall |
| 14Official commitment | A signed athletics aid agreement (D1, D2) or your admission (D3, Ivy League). | 12th grade | 12th grade (admission; Early Decision at selective schools) |
Admissions 9 steps
Run admissions alongside recruiting. A coach’s support doesn’t replace the application.
| Step | What it means | Typical timing |
|---|---|---|
| 1Research school | Academics, majors, cost, location and fit. | 9th – 11th grade |
| 2Review admissions requirements | Required courses, GPA, test policy and deadlines. | 10th – 11th grade |
| 3Demonstrate interest | Info sessions, visits and contact with admissions. | 11th – 12th fall |
| 4Campus tour | See the campus, classes and housing. | 10th – 12th grade |
| 5Test prep and test taking | Prep and take the SAT or ACT if the school uses scores. | Prep 10th summer; test by 11th spring; finish by October of 12th |
| 6Application planning and prep | Essays, recommendations and your ED, EA or RD plan. | Summer after 11th |
| 7Complete application | Submit the application. | ED1/EA usually Nov 1; ED2/RD usually January |
| 8Admissions decisions | Track the decision: accepted, waitlisted, deferred or denied. | December (ED1/EA) through April (RD) |
| 9Evaluate admissions and financial aid decisions | Compare admission and financial aid decisions side by side. | Spring of 12th, by May 1 |
Financial aid 5 steps
Know what each school will cost before any binding commitment.
| Step | What it means | Typical timing |
|---|---|---|
| 1Research merit scholarships | Find the school’s merit awards and how to qualify. | 11th – 12th fall |
| 2Complete net price calculator | Estimate your real cost with the school’s net price calculator. | 10th – 11th grade |
| 3Complete FAFSA | File the federal aid application. | Opens October 1 of 12th |
| 4Complete CSS Profile | File the CSS Profile if the school requires it. | Opens October 1 of 12th; deadlines vary |
| 5Compare aid offers | Compare grants, scholarships and loans; only gift aid lowers the cost. | Spring of 12th |
Track every step in Mammoth Recruit
- My Recruiting Plan: your yearly checklist, with what’s due now for your class year.
- School trackers: the recruiting, admissions and financial aid steps above for every school on your list, on iPhone and the web.
- Step guidance: what each step means at each level, from a D3 “offer” to when to ask for a pre-read.
Watch the women’s basketball edition for the other calendar.
This article is for educational purposes. Recruiting rules change by year, division and sport; confirm dates with the NCAA (NCAA.org, eligibilitycenter.org), the NAIA (PlayNAIA.org) and each school’s compliance office. Sources: NCAA Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete; NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Recruiting Calendar and Recruiting Guide; NCAA Division II and III recruiting rules; College Board (PSAT, SAT, CSS Profile); ACT; Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).