The longest dead period in NCAA history will go a while longer.
The NCAA Division I Council on Wednesday announced its has extended the ongoing dead period for all sports through May 31. The dead period prohibits all in-person recruiting, either on campus by athletes or by coaches at camps or high school visits.
The reasoning in February 2021 is the same as it was in March 2020: NCAA leadership couldn't in good conscience recommend sending recruits and their families into team facilities at this time.
“After careful consideration of all available information, the Council agreed that an extension of the dead period through May 31 was necessary,” said Penn AD and D1 Council chair M. Grace Calhoun. “However, there is a strong commitment to use the next several weeks to outline the transition plan back to recruiting activities post June 1 and to provide those plans to prospective student-athletes, their families and the NCAA membership no later than April 15.”
The second part of Calhoun's statement indicates this will be the final time the Council extends the dead period, and there's good reason to believe she's correct.
Cases are on the decline, and vaccinations are here and growing more available by the day.
Earlier today, Goldman Sachs predicted half the country would be vaccinated by May.
Here's hoping Calhoun is right and this is the last time we have to do this.
In the meantime, stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.