As a fairly recent example, first time-offender Southern Utah Football received the following for 2 contacts to players who were not in the portal: - One year of probation. - A $5,000 fine. - A two-week prohibition on all recruiting activities for the football program during a permissible recruiting period in 2024. One week (seven consecutive days) took place April 15-21 during the spring transfer window for football. - A suspension from one regular-season game during the 2023 football season for head coach, DeLane Fitzgerald. - A two-year show-cause order for Fitzgerald. During the show-cause order, any employing member school shall impose a two-week off-campus recruiting ban for Fitzgerald, including one week during the spring transfer window. Fitzgerald will also be suspended from all recruiting communications for one week during the 2025 transfer window. If discovered, (and that's the big IF) the penalty would probably be similar for any other first-time offender in any sport. It sort of says... you can get away with this once without significant impact. I would expect a very heavy hand for a second violation. The risk is in reaching out to an athlete that doesn't end up going to your school. They have no reason to protect you, and may have good reason to call you out if they end up staying put or going elsewhere. If Patty Gasso tried to illegally recruit an OSU Cowgirl and Kenny G. found out about it, I don't think he's holding back (esp. after the Kelly Maxwell transfer).