The NCAA AND the NJCAA Recruiting Rules Change Due To COVID-19

MC Raptors Deal With COVID Restrictions

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Brandan Buckner

Following the recommendations from the NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) presidential Advisor council and the board of regents, the NJCAA announced early last year that it planned to cancel all fall sports for the 2020-2021 fall semester.

That plan of action shifted all close-contact fall sports to the spring semester. These sports include football, Men’s and Women’s soccer, and court Volleyball. All winter sports would began in January with a majority of championships moved to April. Men’s and Women’s Track and Field is scheduled to beheld at the beginning of March 2021.

Spring sports also remains intact with minor adjustments to dates. These sports include Baseball, Softball, Beach Volleyball, men’s and Women’s lacrosse Track and Field and lastly Men’s and Women’s Tennis.

There is a lot of uncertainty all across college sports, heading into next season as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, which is impacting everything from sports program budgets to recruiting timelines. Currently the NCAA and the NJCAA Division 1 council  suspended in-person recruiting. But both college coaches and potential recruits are adjusting to this unprecedented time and more changes will still emerge.

One college coach  who is adjusting to virtual sports recruiting sessions,  is Montgomery College’s basketball Coach Keith Byrd who talked about what it was like recruiting virtually, and having virtual weekly zoom meetings in witch he says virtual recruiting has, “led to an excellent 2020-2021 incoming recruiting class engaging with current players, and updating our playbook and mandatory coaching clinics with our players”.  Byrd admits there are some drawbacks though, “I miss the on court instructional teaching, connection, experience with my guys watching sports on TV doesn’t do it for me.”

Coach Byrd also talked about his love for his player, and how his players challenge him everyday in virtual zoom recruiting meetings.