Western Michigan University Athletics

Western Michigan University appreciates your interest in our athletics programs. As you may know, the NCAA has rules and regulations on how and when a coach may contact you, a prospective student-athlete. A prospective student-athlete, also referred to as a recruit or prospect, is generally anyone who has started classes for the ninth grade, regardless if you don’t plan to play college sports. In addition, a student who has not started classes for the ninth grade becomes a prospective student-athlete if the institution provides you with a benefit that the institution does not provide to all prospective students.

There are also a number of criteria that a prospective student-athlete must meet in order to be eligible to participate in college athletics. The NCAA provides a summary, the Guide for College-Bound Student-Athletes of criteria and rules that may be beneficial to you.

COMMON QUESTIONS

When may a coach call me?
There are limitations on the number of phone calls that a coach or athletic staff may make and when those calls may be made. A prospect may telephone an institution at his/her own expense at any time. In general, telephone calls to an individual (or the individual’s relatives or legal guardians) may not be made prior to Sept. 1 following the completion of the individual’s junior year in high school and only made once a week. Per NCAA rules, coaches may not be permitted to return your call until this time period. The sports of football, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, and ice hockey allow for additional phone calls, however the number of calls are determined by the prospect’s year in high school and specific calendar dates.

Can a coach send me a text message, instant message or leave a comment on my social network site (Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, etc.)?
NO, coaches may not send a text message, instant message or comment on a social network site to prospects (or the prospect’s family or legal guardian). Email and faxes are the only form of electronic correspondence a coach may engage in on/after September 1st of the prospect’s junior year in high school.

Can I visit the campus at any time?
Anyone is welcome to visit Western Michigan University and the Department of Athletics. However, on certain dates throughout the year coaches and other athletic staff members are not to have any contact with a prospect (or the prospect’s family members or legal guardian.) Please contact the appropriate coaching staff prior to arriving to campus to ensure our coaches may meet with you.

What is the NCAA Eligibility Center?
The Eligibility Center determines the academic and amateurism of high school students (and junior college transfers) who wish to participate in intercollegiate athletics. High school students should begin the registration process in the second half of their junior year. You must complete the registration, submit the appropriate registration fee, and send your high school transcript to the Eligibility Center, along with ACT/SAT test scores directly from the agencies. You are unable to come on campus for an expense paid Official Visit until you have registered with the Eligibility Center. More information regarding the NCAA Eligibility Center can be found at www.eligibilitycenter.org/.

If you want to compete in NCAA Division I or Division II athletics, you must fulfill certain academic requirements, which include coursework, grade point average, and test scores. The Eligibility Center determines if you meet the requirements and certifies your eligibility to play for any college or university.

Basic Recruiting Information for Prospective Student-Athletes

• Prospects should not receive correspondence (e.g., letter, note card) or phone calls from anyone other than WMU coaching staff or designated WMU faculty/staff members.
• Prospective student-athletes being recruited should never receive cash or any other items of value from anyone associated with WMU.
• Prospects should not receive promises of any of cash, material items, agreements, or anything of value.
• Prospects should not be promised or given a job, or a job promotion based upon his/her decision to attend WMU.
• Prospects should not receive "free" tickets to any events other than complimentary tickets for athletics events held on campus during an official or unofficial visit.

What is the National Letter of Intent?
WMU is a member of the National Letter of Intent program. The NLI is a binding agreement between a prospective student-athlete and an institution in which the institution agrees to provide an admitted prospective student-athlete with athletics aid. All colleges and universities that participate in the NLI program must adhere to rules and regulations, such as::

• A prospective student-athlete who signs an NLI should no longer receive recruiting contacts and calls from other institutions he/she did not sign with.
• The NLI must be accompanied by an institutional financial aid agreement.
• If the student-athlete does not enroll at that institution for a full academic year, he/she may be subject to specific penalties, including a loss of eligibility for a season and a residence requirement.
• Financial aid (scholarship) may be reduced or canceled during the academic year or term if the student-athlete renders him/herself ineligible for intercollegiate competition, misrepresents any information on an application, letter of intent or financial aid agreement, or commits serious misconduct which warrants a substantial disciplinary penalty, or voluntarily quits the sport for personal reasons. 
• Athletic scholarships are one-year renewables.
• The institution must notify the student in writing on or before July 1 whether the aid has been renewed or not renewed for the next academic year. This written notification comes from the institution's financial aid authority and not from the athletics department. If the institution decides not to renew the aid, or is going to reduce the aid, the student-athlete may request a hearing. 

For additional academic and compliance information, please click on the appropriate links below.

Graduation Success Rate - http://www.ncaa.org/about/resources/research/graduation-success-rate

NCAA Banned Drug List - http://www.ncaa.org/2016-17-ncaa-banned-drugs

Academic Progress Report - http://www.ncaa.org/about/resources/research/division-i-academic-progress-rate-apr