This article appears in the December “Best of Lax” edition of US Lacrosse Magazine. Don’t get the mag? Join US Lacrosse today to start your subscription.

Recruiting was rocked April 14, 2017, when the NCAA passed landmark lacrosse-only regulations prohibiting any contact from college coaches to prospective student-athletes before Sept. 1 of their junior year of high school.

No calls, no texts, no social media, no unofficial visits with the coaching staff, no third-party communication — nothing that could be construed as a recruiting conversation.

The rule went into effect immediately, which caught much of the lacrosse world by surprise. The contact stopped cold turkey.

Early recruiting had escalated each year, right up until the legislation passed. In February, Eric Spanos of Malvern Prep (Pa.) committed to the Maryland men’s team. Spanos was in eighth grade, meaning his middle school season had not even yet begun.

Implementing the rules immediately caused unrest about how things would change, but many college coaches cautioned that this year isn’t a real test of the new rules for juniors, because there had been so much contact with them prior to the passage. There were more than 400 verbal commitments from juniors on the men’s side alone before Sept. 1. The Class of 2020, and more so the Class of 2021, will begin to feel the landscape change. (The latest hurdle is proposed NCAA legislation for all non-revenue sports that conflicts with the lacrosse-only legislation.)

Among the immediate and long-term effects:

1. It slows down the process.

Prior to Sept. 1 of their junior year, prospective student-athletes can focus just on playing. They need not worry about how many coaches talk to them after a showcase game, and they won’t have to play in every possible showcase. They have more time and other opportunities to impress coaches before rushing into a commitment. They also can focus on schoolwork, play multiple sports and research colleges that are good fits at their own pace.

College coaches, too, won’t attend as many showcases for eighth- and ninth-graders. They have more time to evaluate prospective student-athletes.

2. Club and high school coaches gain importance.

College coaches can’t communicate with freshmen and sophomores, but club and high school coaches can and will talk to college coaches. They can help get a player on a school’s radar and update them the individual’s progress until he or she reaches Sept. 1. They can discuss development, physical attributes, grades and fit. Clubs can steer student-athletes toward events where they can be seen by college coaches.

3. Prospects can still make unofficial visits and attend camps and clinics on campus, but college coaches can’t discuss their recruitment until Sept. 1.

Many PSAs therefore will push back visits until the fall and winter of their junior year, when coaches can talk to them on campus. Delaying these visits from the summer to the school year has raised concerns. Some may take visits at the expense of fall sports. And college coaches must manage a heavier recruiting load while also preparing their current teams during fall ball.

 

4. There should be fewer transfers and flipped commitments.

Both have skyrocketed through recent years. There were still plenty of flips this fall from a junior class that had given verbal commitments in some cases as far back at July 2015. But with verbal commitments now banned before Sept. 1 of junior year, both prospects and coaches should be better positioned to make informed decisions.

5. Late bloomers rejoice.

More players will play lacrosse longer. Instead of losing those who don’t receive a lot of college interest after their freshman or sophomore years, delaying the attention will keep the focus on playing and developing. That should keep more players in the sport.

Mid-major programs could be the hardest hit by this change. With more time to evaluate and every coach filling out his recruiting class at the same time, top-20 teams are less likely to let a late bloomer slip through the cracks.