Nichols College Athletics

What do Nichols and Division III have to offer?

Division III athletics offers student-athletes the opportunity to become well-rounded individuals who successfully integrate athletics and academics. Student-athletes are integrated into the student body, and they experience the full range of college life.

Division III athletics departments place special importance on the impact of athletics on the participants rather than on the spectators. The student-athletes' experience is of paramount concern.

Division III athletics feature athletes who receive no financial aid related to their athletic skills and athletic departments that are staffed and funded like any other department in the university. Division III athletics encourages the development of sportsmanship and positive social attitudes. Coaches and players treat each other with respect, and administrators work to foster a positive competitive environment.

Division III athletics is committed to providing equitable athletics opportunities for both genders and gives equal emphasis to men's and women's sports.

Division III athletics encourages participation by maximizing the number and variety of athletics opportunities available to student-athletes, placing primary emphasis on regional in-season and conference competitions.

Division III Recruiting - Quick Reference Guide

This document is designed to provide a quick reference to NCAA Division III recruiting rules. It is not to serve as a substitute for the legislation within the NCAA Division III Manual.

NCAA Division III recruiting rules apply to athletics-based recruiting and are not meant to limit an institution's admissions office from the recruitment of prospective students generally.

Recruiting – Any solicitation of a prospect or prospect's relatives [or guardian(s)] by an institutional staff member to secure the prospect's enrollment and his/her ultimate participation in the institution's intercollegiate athletics program.

Prospect – A prospective student-athlete is a student who has started classes for the ninth grade.

Contact – Any face-to-face encounter between a prospect or a prospect's relatives, guardian(s), and an institutional staff member during which any dialogue occurs more than a greeting.

Evaluation – Any off-campus activity designed to assess the academic qualifications or athletic ability of a prospect.

Contact with a Coach

There are no restrictions on the number of off-campus contacts. Off-campus contacts are not permitted until the conclusion of the prospect's junior year of high school. Please note there are specific contact restrictions at practice and competition sites.

Evaluations by a Coach

There are no restrictions on the number or timing of the observation of a prospect participating in practice or competition.

Campus Visits

Official Visits – Each institution is permitted to finance the expenses of one visit per prospect. There are restricted allowances on transportation, meals, lodging, and entertainment detailed within the legislation. Official visits can take place beginning with the opening day of classes for the prospect's senior year in high school.

Unofficial Visits – A prospect may visit a member institution's campus at his or her own expense an unlimited number of times and there are no restrictions on the timing of these unofficial campus visits.

Communications

Recruiting materials and letters – There are no restrictions on the timing of providing recruiting materials or letters to prospects. Institutions are permitted to provide any official academic, admissions, athletics, and student-services publications or videotapes published or produced by the institution and other information of a general nature that is available to all students.

Telephone calls, emails, and text messages – There are no restrictions on the frequency or timing of telephone calls, emails, and text messages to prospects.

Instant messenger/social networking sites – The use of instant messaging or social networking Web sites by, or on behalf of, member institution's athletics department staff for the purpose of recruitment of prospects is permissible provided the communication is private between only the sender and the recipient (e.g. no use of public chat rooms, message boards, public communication through a social networking site). It is also permissible for athletics departments to use social networking sites for the dissemination of general athletics information to a public group that may include prospective student-athletes provided the information sent is the same for all members of the group and the members are able to opt out of the group or service at any time.

Four-Year College Prospects

Athletics recruitment of an NCAA or NAIA four-year college student-athlete is not permitted without first obtaining written permission from the student's current institution to do so, regardless of who makes the initial contact. A student-athlete transferring from a Division III institution to another Division III institution can sign the self-release form for proper permission.

Recruiting Forms

Nichols College sponsors 22 teams at the NCAA Division III (non-scholarship) level, 20 of which compete in the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) while men's volleyball is a member of the New England Volleyball Conference (NEVC). Esports competes in the National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE) while varsity cheerleading is independent of a conference. Please complete and submit the recruit information form(s) on the specific team you are looking for. Those forms can be found on the "RECRUIT ME" tab, on the respective teams page.