Prospective Student-Athletes
An individual becomes a "prospective student-athlete" when he or she begins ninth grade classes. Prior to the ninth grade, you become a prospective student-athlete if a college gives you (or your relatives or friends) any financial aid or other benefits that the college does not provide to prospective students generally. They remain a prospect until they enroll full-time at a four-year institution.
Recruited Prospective Student-Athlete
A prospective student-athlete becomes a "recruited prospective student-athlete" at a particular college if any coach or representative of the college's athletics interests (booster, alumnus or fan) approaches you (or any member of your family) about enrolling and participating in athletics at that college.
Activities by coaches or boosters that trigger recruited status are:
- Providing a prospect with an official visit
- Visiting a prospect or any other member of the prospect's family anywhere other than the university's campus
- Issuing a National Letter of Intent or an Athletics Aid Agreement
Official Visit
An official visit is a visit to a college campus paid in whole or in part by the university. Official visits shall be limited to two nights of consecutive lodging. PSA's are limited to one official visit per university unless there is a head coaching change.
Unofficial Visit
An unofficial visit is any visit made to a university's campus at the prospect's expense. The university may provide free tickets to an on-campus, regular season athletics event in which the university's team competes. Transportation to view off-campus practice or competition sites within 30-mile radius is permissible. There is no limit on the number of unofficial visits a prospect can make.
National Letter of Intent
The National Letter of Intent (NLI) is an official document administered by the Collegiate Commissioners Association and used by universities to establish a prospect's commitment to attend a certain university. Once a prospect signs with a particular university, other institutions are prohibited from recruiting them. Additionally, the day after a prospect signs with a university coaches may have unlimited contact with the signee as well as unlimited telephone calls and text messages.
- Signees of a NLI remain prospective student-athletes until they enroll at the university or participates in permissible summer access activities.
Recruiting Contact
Any face-to-face, off-campus encounter between a prospective student-athlete, prospect's parents (or legal guardian) or relative and a college staff employee or athletics representative; if the conversation goes beyond a greeting.
Recruiting Evaluation
Any off-campus activity designed to assess a prospect's academic qualifications or athletic ability. (e.g., reviewing transcripts on the high school campus or watching practices / games).
Transfers
Student-athletes interested in transferring to Austin Peay State University must have a profile in the NCAA's Transfer Portal or, for NAIA schools, have written permission to contact from their current or previous institution's athletics compliance office or director of athletics prior to initiating communication (e.g., email or phone calls) with Austin Peay coaches or athletic department staff members.
International Prospective Student-Athletes
Austin Peay State University athletics teams actively recruits student-athletes from diverse backgrounds, including students from foreign countries. Information for foreign students interested in applying to the University can be found here.
