Today begins the contact period for NCAA college coaches. Now through January 28^th, North Texas coaches will be on the road hopefully finalizing the final push for this year’s recruiting class. On the 29^th they will be in the quiet period and from the 30^th to the 2^nd it will be in the dead period.  Of course Feb 1st will be signing day. On Feb 3^rd until April 15^th coaches will once again be in a quiet period.

The contact period means college coaches can go to a prospects home, school, talk to a recruit face to face, talk to their high school coaches, guidance counselors, get transcripts etc.  I even knew of one coaching staff that visited pastor at churches.

Under present North Texas Head Coach Dan McCarney recruiting is a little bit difference than in the past. His staff is on the road actually looking at juniors for potential prospects for next year.  McCarney feels he and his staff has given their best recruiting pitch for this year’s crop of players and it is time to look at the future. Maybe they might lose a possible recruit this year but they are trying to harvest a better recruiting class next year. It begins now.

There are NCAA rules about the contact period. They are trying to make a level playing field for every football program no matter what their budget or conference affiliation. During the contact period only seven of the 12 coaches are allowed to be on the road to make visits, the other coaches have to remain on campus.

There are times when more than seven coaches can be on the road. It used to be before any of the coaches on campus can go out recruiting; a coach off campus had to return to campus before he could leave. Now, when a coach is finished evaluating his players and heads back to campus, once he calls in another coach on campus can head out to his territory.

McCarney and his staff have a lot of ammunition to give recruits this year.

First, the brand new stadium, while it is cement and mortar it represents a commitment to the football program.  It is new, it competes with many other programs out there.

Second, while this may seem small it is very important. The design of the new stadium with the fans almost on the field gives a personal inter-reaction between the fans and football players. It builds more excitement between the two. Fouts Field made the players feel they were playing in a vacuum. Fouts made the fans feel they were in a vacuum. Now the two have a feel for each other and they feed off each other and it makes it harder on opponents.

Third, while not having a winning season, the win /loss record was better than the last three or four years.  It shows the program is turning around and a lot of players want to help build a program. It’s just like an employee wanting to go to a new business to help it grow instead of going to an established big business.  Some players want to be part of bringing North Texas back to the top of the Sun Belt, maybe help move it to another conference and play in a BCS Bowl.

Fourth, fan attendance set an all time high. Face it, who wants to play in an empty stadium? Who wants to work for a company when they do not get noticed?  The more fans in the stands the more a player wants to be on the field.

Fifth, freshmen can play. Under the old regime it appeared there was a pecking order. It you were a senior you got a starting position or a feature role even if a freshman was better. Not any more, the best player gets the starting role or will have a honest shot of starting or getting early playing time even if a true freshman. Look at how many played as freshmen this year. No player coming out of high school wants to sit out a year, especially if they feel they are better than upper classmen.

Next will be looking at the other NCAA periods.