The verbal offer is perhaps the most valuable commodity in amateur basketball. These tickets validate a child’s countless hours in the gym and help build the reputation of an AAU or high school program. Announcements of verbal offers spawn thousands of custom graphics that litter social media timelines. They are a pillar of the recruiting news cycle.
Yet there is nothing tangible about them.
A verbal offer occurs when a college coach tells a player that they’d like to give them a scholarship or roster spot on their team. Per NCAA rules, colleges can’t reach out to a player before June 1 of their sophomore year (June 15 for boys). But the player can initiate contact anytime. The guidelines are an attempt to give young athletes some control over when the recruiting whirlwind begins.
Typically, an interested college coach will tell a high school or AAU coach to have that player call them. Coaches can also talk with athletes while they’re on an unofficial visit to campus, or after a camp.
