The NCAA Changed the Recruiting Game— What Women’s College Volleyball Recruits Need to Know (2026 Update)

If you’ve been paying attention to women’s college volleyball recruiting, you already know things are not what they were even a year ago. And the pace of change hasn’t slowed — it’s accelerated.

Over the past year, the NCAA has introduced major structural changes that directly impact women’s volleyball athletes, including roster limits, scholarship flexibility, and how commitments are formalized. These updates affect how coaches build teams — and how recruits should approach the process.

This post focuses specifically on NCAA women’s volleyball recruiting. (Men’s volleyball operates under a different scholarship and roster model, which we’ll cover separately.)

Let’s break it down in plain language — what changed, what it means for women volleyball recruits, and how to stay ahead. 1. Women’s Volleyball Scholarship Limits Have Changed — Here’s What That Means

In NCAA Division I women’s volleyball, the long-standing 12-scholarship headcount model has been replaced by roster limits, giving programs new flexibility in how scholarships are distributed. — 18 players per team — and can award scholarships (full or partial) to any of those rostered athletes. That’s a huge shift from a headcount model where only full scholarships were possible.

Why this matters for recruits

• Coaches don’t have to give out exactly 12 full scholarships anymore.

• You might see a mix of full and partial scholarship deals depending on budget and strategy.

• It gives coaches flexibility — but it also makes roster spots even more competitive because the cap is tied to the number of players, not scholarship dollars.

• Important Note:

  The changes discussed in this article apply to women’s volleyball programs. Men’s volleyball follows an equivalency scholarship model with significantly fewer total scholarships and different recruiting dynamics.
  

2. National Letter of Intent (NLI) Is No Longer the Standard

In October 2024, the NCAA officially eliminated the National Letter of Intent. Instead of signing NLIs on National Signing Day, recruits now sign financial aid agreements that, in practice, commit them to a school in a very similar way. NJPowerRanking

This means:

• No more NLI paperwork, but coaches still can’t directly recruit you after you’ve signed unless you agree to that.

• Signing Day still exists — just under a new contract framework.

• There’s more flexibility on negotiation — which can benefit you if you’re savvy (or have good advice).

This change might not immediately impact your day-to-day recruiting outreach, but it does change the legal framework of how teams and athletes lock things in.

3. NIL Is Now Embedded in Recruiting — For Real

Name, Image, and Likeness deals used to be a sideline conversation. Today, NIL isn’t just something you pursue after you’re on campus — it’s baked into recruiting.

Under current legal frameworks tied to the House lawsuits, schools can share up to $20.5M annually with athletes (that cap is set to rise), and this includes direct compensation, not just sponsorship deals.

What recruits should understand:

• Coaches and schools may now position financial opportunities — not just scholarship dollars — in their recruiting pitch.

• These NIL conversations can take place before you commit, which was verboten just a few years ago.

• Be careful: booster-driven “pay for play” enticements remain controversial and under scrutiny federally.

If you’re going to engage with NIL early, get good guidance — it’s still a legal and compliance minefield.

4. Recruiting Calendars & Contact Rules Still Matter — And Didn’t Change Much

Despite all this restructuring, the basic college volleyball recruiting calendar has held firm:

• Coaches can start contacting you directly after June 15 between your sophomore & junior years of high school.

• That means your early outreach — videos, emails, profiles — still matters.

The how and when coaches reach out hasn’t changed dramatically. What’s changing is what they’re offering when they do.

5. Transfer Portal & Roster Management Now Affect Recruiting Focus

With roster caps in place, coaches aren’t focused only on incoming freshmen anymore — they’re aggressively managing rosters via the transfer portal, seeking players who can make an instant impact.

That has two knock-on effects:

• Competition for freshman roster spots has ratcheted up.

• You now need to demonstrate both long-term potential and immediate impact — athletic, academic, and cultural.

In other words: every year matters. There’s no longer a clear divide between “developmental freshman” and “impact player” recruiting.

6. Division II, III, NAIA Still Have Their Own Rules

Not all of these changes apply outside Division I:

• Division II & III largely keep the traditional recruiting and scholarship structures.

• Division III still doesn’t offer athletic scholarships.

• NAIA & JC routes offer other scholarship and recruiting flexibility.

If you’re casting a wide net, make sure you know the rules for each level — what’s true in Division I isn’t true everywhere. NCAA Scholarship Guide

So What Should You Do Right Now?

This isn’t a drill — the recruiting landscape has real, tangible shifts you need to work with, not react to:

• Update your recruiting plan.Scholarships are more flexible — your pitch should reflect your value both on the court and off.

• Invest in a quality volleyball recruiting videos. With tighter rosters and more competition for each spot, coaches rely heavily on video to evaluate decision-making, consistency, and overall impact. A clear, well-structured recruiting video makes it easier for coaches to quickly assess fit.

• Think bigger than video.Highlight your coachability, academic profile, and off-court identity — today’s recruiting rewards complete athletes, not just highlight reels.

• Stay compliant.If schools discuss NIL during recruiting, make sure everything stays within NCAA and state or federal guidelines.

• Use transfer portal knowledge.Watch how programs build rosters — it offers valuable insight into what coaches actually prize in recruits.

Bottom line: The NCAA has restructured the recruiting economy. Roster limits, elimination of NLIs, NIL integration, and a heightened transfer focus mean the process is now more fluid — and more strategic — than ever. If you’re not approaching your recruiting with that mindset, you’re playing last year’s game.

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I started VolleyVideo to help players simplify the college volleyball recruiting process. I assist athletes with optimized highlight videos, easy steps, and individualized consultation. Get volleyball specific insight and take the guesswork out of making your best first impression. Volleyball highlight video services.