Are you thinking about playing a sport in college?  

It can be an amazing experience, however, we like to manage the expectations (of students and parents!).  It is incredibly difficult to make it to the next level - that is why it is great you're here...we will give you some essential tips to get started. 

Understand Your Options:

• National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)
  • Division I
    • 331 member institutions
    • Athletic scholarships are available
    • 20+ sports in which national championships are conducted
    • Initial eligibility certified by the NCAA Eligibility Center
  • Division II 
    • 291 member institutions
    • Athletic scholarships are available
    • 20+ sports in which national championships are conducted
    • Initial eligibility certified by the NCAA Eligibility Center
  • Division III
    • 429 member institutions
    • No athletic scholarships available
    • 20+ sports in which national championships are conducted
• National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA)
  • 290 member institutions
  • 21 sports in which national championships are conducted
  • Athletic scholarships are available at some institutions
• National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA)
  • 510 member institutions across 24 regions
  • 16 sports in which national championships are conducted
  • Athletic scholarships are available

Understand What is Required

Register with either the NAIA or NCAA Eligibility Center:

NCAA

• • On-line Registration
• $100 fee (Free to create a Profile Page)
• Fee waiver available if eligible for an ACT/SAT fee waiver
• Do it early - they process 80,000 final certifications between June - August!!!!
• Link to the NCAA Eligibility Center

NAIA

• $100 registration fee (fee waiver available)
• NAIA certification is separate from NCAA certification
• Link to the NAIA Eligibility Center

NJCCA Eligibility Requirements:

• Graduate of a high school with an academic diploma or GED
• Non-High-School Graduates: one term of college work, passing 12 hours with at least a 1.75 GPA
• If the student-athlete (SA) has not earned enough credits for high school graduation status, he/she may not be eligible until after the SA’s class has graduated.

NAIA Eligibility Requirements:

• Graduate of accredited high school or be accepted as regular student in good standing
• Meet two of the following requirements:
  • Test Score: 18 ACT, 970 SAT (Critical Reading and Math Sections)
  • Minimum overall high-school GPA of 2.0/4.0 scale
  • Graduate in the top half of the class

 NCAA ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:

DIVISION 1
If you enroll in a Division 1 college and wish to participate in athletics or receive an athletics scholarship, you must meet all NCAA requirements and have completed two additional core courses (16 total) as shown below:

16 Required Core Courses
• English: 4 years
• Math: 3 years (Algebra 1 or higher level)
• Natural/Physical Science: 2 years (including 1 year of lab science)
• Social Science: 2 years
• Plus, one extra year of English, Math or Natural/Physical Science, and
  four years of extra courses (from any category above, or World
  Language, Nondoctrinal Religion or Philosophy)

Grade Point Average
Only core courses are used in the calculation of the grade point average. Be sure to look at your high school’s list of NCAA-approved core courses on the Eligibility Center’s website to make certain that courses being taken have been approved:
List of approved courses (enter or search for your NCAA High School Code - if you don't know and can't find your school on this list, please contact your school counselor or coach)

DIVISION II
If you enroll in a Division II college and wish to participate in athletics or receive an athletics scholarship, you must meet the following academic standards:
• Graduate from high school
• Complete the 16 core courses listed below
• Present a 2.20 grade-point average in your core courses
• Achieve an SAT or ACT score equal to GPA on Division II sliding scale

16 Required Core Courses
• English: 3 years
• Math: 2 years (Algebra 1 or higher level)
• Natural/Physical Science: 2 years (including 1 year of lab science)
• Social Science: 2 years
• Plus, three extra years of English, Math or Natural/Physical Science,
  and four years of extra courses (from any category above, or World
  Language, Nondoctrinal Religion or Philosophy)

DIVISION III
Refer to each Division III school regarding its policies on financial aid, practice and competition.  There are a wide range of Division III schools, and many of them have a specific set of requirements.  

 Managing Expectations: 

Understand the number of available open spots - Approximately 3 to 6% of high school athletes will go on to compete in the NCAA.  

What Should I Be Doing?

9th/10th Grade:

• Start planning now!
• Communicate interest in collegiate athletics to coaches and your counselor
• Take courses from the approved list of core courses
• Work hard to get the best grades possible in approved core courses
• Use summer school to catch up if necessary

11th Grade:

• Work with counselor to determine the number of core courses that need to be completed prior to graduation
• Continue to get the best grades possible in approved core courses
• Register with the Eligibility Center
• Send an official transcript to the Eligibility Center at the end of the year (AFTER 6 completed semesters are on your transcript)
• Use summer school to catch up if necessary

12th Grade:

• Continue to get the best grades possible in approved core courses
• Review amateurism questionnaire and submit beginning April 1st
• Graduate on time (i.e., after eight semesters)
• Send final official transcript with proof of graduation (find out who does that, you or your school?)

How Do I Do This? 

• Keep working hard at your sport
• Set yearly goals to get to the next step
• Work with your coach (high school, AAU, etc.)
• Understand the role of the coach
• Register with the NCAA Eligibility Center
• Identify colleges compatible for you
• Send a letter of introduction to college coach
• Send a “Sports Resume” to college coaches
• Fill out all questionnaires available.
• Continue to communicate with target schools
• Arrange for Campus & Athletic visits
• Stay focused on your future - ACADEMICS