<P> 4 . During a dead period, they cannot make in - person recruiting contacts or evaluations on - or off - campus or permit official / unofficial visits . However, phone calls and letters are permitted . </P> <P> During the recruiting process, the prospective student - athlete goes on an official visit to the school that they're being recruited by . An official visit is a prospective student - athlete's visit to a college campus paid for by the college . The college can pay for transportation to and from the college, room, and meals (three per day) while visiting and reasonable entertainment expenses, including three complimentary admissions to a home athletics contest . NCAA recruiting bylaws limit the number of official visits a recruit may take to five . The NCAA has imposed stringent rules limiting the manner in which competing university - firms may bid for the newest crop of prospective student - athletes . Such rules limit the number of visits, which a student - athlete may make to a given campus, the amount of his expenses that may be covered by the university - firm, and so forth . </P> <P> During recruitment, a college coach may ask a prospective player to sign a National Letter of Intent or NLI for short . The NLI is a voluntary program with regard to both institutions and student - athletes . No prospective student - athlete or parent is required to sign the NLI, and no institution is required to join the program . By signing a NLI, a prospective student - athlete agrees to attend the designated college or university for one academic year . Pursuant to the terms of the NLI program, participating institutions agree to provide athletics financial aid to the student - athlete, provided he / she is admitted to the institution and eligible for financial aid under NCAA rules . An important provision of this program serves as a recruiting prohibition applied after a prospective student - athlete signs an NLI This prohibition requires participating institutions to cease recruitment of a prospective student - athlete once an NLI is signed with another institution . The NLI has many advantages to both prospective student - athletes and participating educational institutions: </P> <P> (A) Once a NLI is signed, prospective student - athletes are no longer subject to further recruiting contacts and calls . </P>

When do high school football players commit to college
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