Please note: In NCAA-speak, a "contact" is anything beyond "hello."
As a general rule, the NCAA sets aside a formal contact period in the late summer/early fall, another in March and another in April. Teams and coaches are limited to 130 person/days of recruiting during the academic year, and get two additional evaluation periods during the summer.
Spans where recruiting is limited to campus visits -- quiet periods -- or shut down almost completely -- dead periods -- are sprinkled liberally throughout the year.
Here are the official dates for the 2008-09 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball recruiting calendar.
NCAA Division I Men's Basketball: Official Recruiting Calendar
| Dates | Status | Notes |
| August 1 - September 8 | Quiet Period | |
| September 9 - October 5 | Contact Period | Fall Contact Period |
| October 6 - March 31 (with noted exceptions) | Evaluation Period | |
| November 10 - 13 | Dead Period | |
| December 24 - 26 | Dead Period | |
| March 16 - 22 | Contact Period | March Contact Period |
| April 1 - July 5 (with noted exceptions) | Quiet Period | |
| April 2 - 9 (at 12pm) | Dead Period | |
| April 9 (noon) - April 13 | Contact Period | April Contact Period |
| April 13 - 16 | Dead Period | |
| April 16 - 22 | Contact Period | April Contact Period |
| May 21 - 30 | Dead Period | There's an exception built-in to this dead period for evaluations tied to the NBA pre-draft camp -- dates TBD. |
| July 6 - 15 | Evaluation Period | Summer Evaluation Period |
| July 16 - 21 | Dead Period | Teams are allowed contact during this period with players who have enrolled in summer classes or who have signed a National Letter of Intent (NLI) |
| July 22 - 31 | Evaluation Period | Summer Evaluation Period |
