Recruiting Basics
Researching schools and creating a target list
To find the right college fit, student-athletes should begin their recruiting journey by evaluating what colleges offer academically, athletically, socially and financially.
The first step to finding the right college fit is understanding the difference between each NCAA division level. Student-athletes, with the help of their high school and/or club coach, must determine what division level they are best suited to compete in before they can begin their college search. This includes evaluating where they fit in terms of their athletic skills, GPA and ACT/SAT test scores and financial requirements.
Next, student-athletes can begin to research field hockey programs within that division that meet their academic, athletic, social and financial needs. You can click the link below to search through what schools offer Collegiate Field Hockey. All schools are sorted by Division and Conference, and then alphabetically.
Whats the difference?
A school's size and the resources of its athletics program determines its NCAA division. To ensure fairness in competition, larger schools compete in Division 1 and Division 2, while smaller schools compete in Division 3. The biggest difference is that Division 1 and 2 schools can offer athletic scholarships, while Division 3 schools cannot.
What to understand about the NCAA field hockey recruiting rules and calendar
While the NCAA prohibits contact between college coaches and student-athletes until after June 15 of the athlete’s sophomore year, the recruiting process is known to start as early as 8th grade. From field hockey early recruiting to National Signing Day, below is a look at the college field hockey recruiting process.
Early recruiting: Before college coaches can contact field hockey recruits, they dedicate a good deal of time to attending tournaments, college camps and showcases to evaluate athletes and build a list of prospective recruits. College coaches also connect with high school and club coaches to express interest in an athlete but can no longer extend verbal offers.
Contact and verbal offers: College coaches can begin making verbal offers to athletes starting June 15 after the athlete’s sophomore year.
Official and unofficial visits: Student-athletes and their families can schedule official and unofficial visits beginning August 1 of the athlete’s junior year. During these visits, they can have recruiting conversations on campus with college coaches.
National Signing Day: November 8, 2023, is National Signing Day, kicking off a 10-month time period when student-athletes can sign a National Letter of Intent (NLI) to officially accept their athletic scholarship or offer to join an athletic program.