NCAA Division III Volleyball

I really enjoy the site. Thanks for creating such an informative resource.

I have been a high school coach for several years now and I am planning to interview for some local college jobs in the near future. (Div. III level). What is the best way for me to educate myself about the various NCAA rules of recruiting and contacting players? I am also interested in potential conflicts of interest with NCAA coaches involved with Junior Olympic clubs at various age levels. I have coached juniors for several year and I was trying to figure out what level of involvement (if any) I could keep up if I was a Div III head volleyball coach.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Sal

I have jumped right into answering the questions presented by Sal in his e-mail:

1. Go to this NCAA page and look for the Division III Manual - You can download the exact rule book that all Division III schools/coaches use. This is the best way to educate yourself about the rules - remember that each NCAA division has variations on the rules, especially with recruiting.

2. Other than a possible school rule, there is no conflict of interest (per NCAA rules) with college coaches coaching club. You are allowed to have any level of involvement you wish, provided you stay within NCAA rules of Division III as they specifically involve involvement with Club or Outside Sport Teams.

In terms of the NCAA rules, each NCAA Division will have their own slight variations of guidelines. In Division I versus Division II Volleyball recruiting, the DI Dead and Quiet periods are significantly longer than DII. Also, DII rules allow for playing volleyball while on an Official Visit. Division III rules are the most unknown to me and I would hesitate to give any clear distinctions in variations between DIII and the other Divisions, but I know they exist.

Division III is most notable for not allowing athletic scholarships to be provided. Some DIII institutions will view athletics as just part of the experience of being a student at their school, while other institutions will follow a traditional model of collegiate athletics.

You are doing the right thing to get some general information about the Division. I would not stress out too much about not being comprehensive on all topics, as an Athletic Director would understand you have a learning curve as part of the transition to NCAA Athletics.

Good luck,

Coach