New NCAA Rules for Official Visits (visits where all expenses can be paid by the Institution, including flights, lodging, meals, etc), are showing a huge discrepancy between Men’s Basketball and Women’s Basketball.
The NCAA finally updated the WBB rules this year to allow high school prospects to start taking visits on January 1st of their Junior Year (moved up from April). This is very helpful, however they also took away 1 visit – taking the total to only FOUR.
On the other hand, the Men’s rules allow up to TEN official visits. They get 5 starting August 1st prior to their Junior year, and then ANOTHER 5 starting August 1st prior to their Senior year.
Both the discrepancy in timing and the quantity of these visits is unacceptable. We all know girl’s basketball families out there who are spending thousands of dollars the fall of their junior year going on visits that are required to be unofficial… while boys the same age are taking those visits officially (and for free).
Here are the rules, straight from the NCAA, in case you were curious.
13.6.2.2.3 Women’s Basketball. In women’s basketball, a prospective student-athlete may take a maximum of four expense-paid visits to Division I institutions before October 15 following the prospective student-athlete’s completion of high school”
13.6.2.2.2 Men’s Basketball. In men’s basketball a prospective student-athlete may take a maximum of five expense-paid visits to Division I institutions from August 1 through July 31 of the prospective student-athlete’s junior year of high school, five additional visits from August 1 of the prospective student-athlete’s senior year of high school through October 14 following completion of high school
