Colgate University Athletics

   
Thank you for your interest in wanting to become a Raider! Colgate University has enjoyed a great amount of success both on and off the playing field, and I invite you to find out more about this proud tradition. Colgate University competes in 25 sports at the Division I level and is a member of the Patriot League and ECAC Hockey League.

To find contact information and other information related to a specific sport program, please access their page in the "Sports" dropdown menu. In addition to information about the current team, you can also access recruiting questionnaires and upcoming camps or clinics. This page is intended to provide you with general guidance on becoming a Colgate student-athlete and navigating the recruiting process. Colgate University supports and adheres to all NCAA legislation in regards to the recruiting process.

June 2026 NCAA Update: In June 2026, the NCAA Division I Cabinet adopted the Age-Based Eligibility Model, which will apply to all individuals who intend to enroll full-time at a collegiate institution for the first time in Fall of 2027 and beyond. Prospects are encouraged to reference NCAA resources relating to this change to better understand the potential impact on their athletics eligibility. 

Additional NCAA & Related Resources / Information
Graduation Success Rates
Recent Colgate Graduation Success Rate Cohort
EADA Report
NCAA Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete
NCAA Transfer Guide
Patriot League website
ECAC Hockey website
Don’t Bet On It
NCAA Banned Substance List

Admission-Related Information 
FAFSA
College Board
Office of Admissions
Office of Financial Aid

NCAA ELIGIBILITY CENTER
All high-school athletes wishing to compete in college at the Division I or Division II level must register with the NCAA Eligibility Center. Information about the Eligibility Center can be found in the Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete and at the NCAA Eligibility Center.

Students are encouraged to create a "Profile Page" Account early in their journey to access more information on the recruitment process. All individuals who will compete at a NCAA Division I or II institution will need to eventually register with an "Academics and Athletics Certification" Account, and are recommended to do so at the conclusion of their junior year of high school as it is required prior to making any official recruiting visits or participating in a scholarship signing day. 

NCAA Website: Additional Educational Resources for Prospective Student-Athletes

ATHLETICS ELIGIBILITY 
When you register with the Eligibility Center, your academic and athletic participation history will be evaluated prior to certifying your athletics eligibility at the NCAA DI-level. 

Basic information regarding initial-eligibility academic standards can be found HERE. 

Individuals should be prepared to report full athletics participation history as well, and at times, may need to provide additional information to the Eligibility Center to complete the evaluation process. Circumstances that will be reviewed as part of the certification process are:

• Delaying your full-time enrollment and participating in organized competition;
• Playing with professionals;
• Signing a contract with a professional team;
• Participating in tryouts or practices with a professional team;
• Receiving payment or preferential treatment/benefits for playing sports;
• Receiving prize money;
• Entering a written agreement with an agent

If attending a DI or DII school, a prospect has the ability to request their final athletics certification from the Eligibility Center beginning April 1st, prior to initial fall enrollment. 

RECRUITING PERIODS DEFINED
Recruiting of prospective student-athletes is defined by the four distinct recruiting periods below:
Contact Period: During a contact period a college coach may have face-to-face contact with college-bound student-athletes or their parents, watch student-athletes compete and visit their high schools, and write or telephone student-athletes or their parents.
Evaluation Period: During an evaluation period a college coach may watch college-bound student-athletes compete, visit their high schools, and write or telephone student-athletes or their parents. However, a college coach may not have face-to-face contact with college-bound student-athletes or their parents off the college’s campus during an evaluation period.
Quiet Period: During a quiet period, a college coach may only have face-to-face contact with college-bound student-athletes or their parents on the college’s campus. A coach may not watch student-athletes compete (unless a competition occurs on the college’s campus) or visit their high schools. Coaches may write or telephone college-bound student-athletes or their parents during this time.
Dead Period: During a dead period a college coach may not have face-to-face contact with college-bound student-athletes or their parents, and may not watch student-athletes compete or visit their high schools. Coaches may write and telephone student-athletes or their parents during a dead period.
Recruiting Period: Men’s Basketball Only – Permissible for authorized athletic staff to make in-person, off-campus recruiting contacts and evaluations. 
Shutdown Period: Women’s Basketball Only – No form of recruiting (e.g., contacts, evaluations, official or unofficial visits, correspondence or making or receiving telephone calls) is permissible.
 
RECRUITING COMMUNICATIONS
Coaching staff members are permitted to communicate with prospective student-athletes through the following methods:
Telephone Calls: The first permissible date to make telephone contact with a prospect depends on the sport. In sports other than men's basketball, football, and swimming & diving, and men's hockey, the first permissible date for telephone contact with a prospect is September 1st at the beginning of their junior year in high school. (Bylaw 13.1.3.1). In men's basketball, the first permissible date is June 15th at the conclusion of their sophomore year in high school. (Bylaw 13.1.3.1.3) In football, a coach may place one telephone call to a prospect between April 15th and May 31st of their junior year in high school and any additional telephone calls may not be placed until September 1st at the beginning of their senior year in high school. (Bylaw 13.1.3.1.2). Swimming and diving may not place telephone calls to a prospect until July 1st following their junior year in high school. (Bylaw 13.1.3.1.1). In men’s hockey, the first permissible date to make phone calls is January 1 of PSA’s sophomore year in high school. (Bylaw 13.1.3.1.4).
As a prospective student-athlete, telephone calls may be placed to college coaches at any time, even prior to the dates mentioned above. However, if a prospective student-athlete only leaves a message for a coach prior to the dates mentioned, that coach will not be able to return your call. The prospective student-athlete must initiate the conversation.
Electronic Correspondence (e.g., emails, text messages, direct message on social media):  The first permissible date to send electronic correspondence to a prospective student-athlete is September 1st at the beginning of the prospect’s junior year in high school (Bylaw 13.4), with the exception of men’s basketball and men’s ice hockey. (Bylaws 13.4.1.1 & 13.4.2.1).
As a prospective student-athlete, college coaches may not respond to any electronic correspondence sent by a prospect until the above deadlines.
Recruiting Materials: The first permissible date to send recruiting materials to a prospective student-athlete is September 1st at the beginning of their junior year in high school (Bylaw 13.4), with the exception of men’s basketball and men’s ice hockey. (Bylaws 13.4.1.1 & 13.4.2.1). Types of recruiting materials that may be provided to a prospective student-athlete include: General Correspondence, Camp or Clinic Information, Questionnaires, Non-athletics Institutional Publications (e.g., official academic, admissions and student services publications published by the institutional and available to all students), and Educational Material Published by the NCAA (e.g., NCAA Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete).

RECRUITING VISITS
Official Visit: A visit to a college campus by a college-bound student-athlete or his or her parents paid for all, or in part, by the college.
During an official visit the college may elect to pay for transportation to and from the college for the prospect, lodging and three meals per day for both the prospect and the parents or guardians, as well as reasonable entertainment expenses including three tickets to a home sports event. A prospective student-athlete may take a maximum of five expense paid visits, with no more than one visit permitted to any single institution. This restriction applies regardless of the number of sports in which the prospect is involved and is only in regard to Division I or II institutions. A prospect may not be provided an expense-paid visit earlier than September 1 of the prospect’s junior year in high school, with the exception of men’s basketball (January 1 of Junior year); women’s basketball (Thursday following the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship game of prospect’s junior year); and football (April of Junior year).

Before a prospect may visit campus, he/she must:

• Register with the NCAA Eligibility Center;
• Complete the amateurism questionnaire on the NCAA Eligibility Center site; and 
• Submit a high school academic transcript.

Rules & Regulations regarding official visits to Colgate

Unofficial Visit: paid for by college-bound student-athletes or their parents

The only expenses a college-bound student-athlete may receive from a college during an unofficial visit are three tickets to a home sports event (within a 30-mile radius). In sports other than basketball and football, an unofficial visit with athletics department involvement (e.g., contact with athletics department staff, athletics-specific tour, complimentary admission) shall not occur with an individual (or his or her family members) before September 1 at the beginning junior year in high school.

Visiting Colgate
Please keep in mind, coaches may only contact prospective-student-athletes on or off an institution’s campus during certain periods of the calendar year. Please be sure to set up an appointment with a coaching staff member prior to your arrival on campus.