Seniors with NCAA D1 or D2 offers can sign from Wednesday, November 11. Cross country runners are into championship season, and for everyone else it’s a good month to get your profile ready for indoor and outdoor recruiting.
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Key dates
| Date | What | Who |
|---|---|---|
| Fri, Nov 6 | ACT registration closes for the December 12 test (US). International test December 11–12: register by November 13. | 2027 · 2028 |
| Mon, Nov 9 – Thu, Nov 12 | NCAA D1 dead period: no in-person contact or visits. Calls and messages are still fine. | 2027 |
| Wed, Nov 11 | Signing opens: the earliest day to sign an NCAA D1 or D2 athletics aid agreement. | 2027 |
| Sat, Nov 14 | U SPORTS cross country championships (McMaster, Hamilton) and CCAA nationals (Concordia, Edmonton). | All |
| Fri, Nov 20 | NAIA cross country nationals, Vancouver, WA. Last day to register for the December 5 SAT. | All |
| Sat, Nov 21 | NCAA D1 (Terre Haute, IN) and D3 (Northfield, MN) cross country championships. | All |
| Mon, Nov 23 – Mon, Dec 7 | NCAA D1 transfer portal window for cross country and track and field. College transfers compete with seniors for the same roster spots. | 2027 |
| Sat, Dec 5 | Nike Cross Nationals, Portland, OR. SAT test day. | All |
| Fri, Jan 15 | Ontario university applications (OUAC 101) are due. | 2027 · Canada |
Featured athlete: Piper Hoprich
Committed to Elon University (NCAA D1) from Wellsboro, PA, with PRs of 11.90 in the 100m and 24.39 in the 200m. A two-time Pennsylvania state champion, Piper lost most of her options to a mid-summer NCAA rule change, rebuilt her list, and committed to Elon after her official visits.
“I continued training and I trust my training. I trust my skills, and I know that someone will see that I’m putting in the work even when it’s hard to… I would be upset for an hour and then reset, reach out to more coaches.”
Piper’s tip for official visits: “Definitely stay off your phone and be engaged the entire time. Ask questions… Kind of just act the way you do around your friends and family.”
Read how Piper Hoprich chose Elon →
How signing works
- You sign an athletics aid agreement. The National Letter of Intent was retired in 2024. NCAA D1 and D2 recruits now sign a written offer of athletics aid with the school. The signing period opens on Wednesday, November 11.
- Signing ends your recruitment. Once you sign, other D1 and D2 programs have to stop recruiting you.
- Update your status and share your story. Update your recruiting status in the Streamline Athletes app. If you’d like, share your commitment story to be featured on our blog and Instagram.
- Not every level has a signing day. NCAA D3, NAIA, and U SPORTS have no NCAA-style signing day, so their offers and commitments follow each school’s own timeline.
New for D1 track and cross country: from June 15 after sophomore year, D1 coaches can now talk with you and your family in person at meets, not just call and message. For the class of 2029, that starts next June. Visits still start August 1 of junior year.
The recruiting timeline, year by year →
Coach’s corner
If you’ve decided a program isn’t for you, do coaches want to hear it? Taylor Cudequest, head coach at PennWest Edinboro:
“If you aren’t [interested], LET US KNOW! It does not hurt our feelings, it makes our lives easier because we can move on to the next person.”
- On a visit, wear neutral clothing or the host school’s colours.
- Be present and engaged, not along for the ride.
- Send a handwritten note, or a specific email within 24 to 48 hours.
What a D2 head coach looks for in a recruit →
Your November checklist
Class of 2027
Class of 2028
- Cross country runners: get your season’s performances on your profile while they’re fresh.
- Got your first 2026–27 report card? Add your grades to your profile, using your cumulative high school GPA.
Class of 2029+
- Get your profile to 100% so D2, D3, NAIA, and U SPORTS coaches can find you now.
Log in here →
New this fall: our new website
A complete recruiting guide, a free recruiting calculator, standards, scholarships, and more than 1,700 college track and field programs in one place.
See what’s new →
Quick laps
Know a swimmer?
Streamline Swimming is college swim recruiting from the team behind Streamline Athletes. Share our new site with swim families looking for free recruitment help.
See you in December
Next issue: the 2026 year in review and indoor season. In the meantime, update your profile.
