NCAA Eligibility Requirements
NCAA Eligibility Rules state that student-athletes will need to meet athletic and academic requirements for the division they wish to compete in. Requirements include:
- Meeting core course requirements specific to NCAA Division 1 or Division 2.
- Completion of Amateurism certificate.
NCAA Division 1 Eligibility Requirements:
- You must complete 16 NCAA-approved core courses:
- Four years of English
- Three years of math (Algebra 1 or higher)
- Two years of natural/physical science (including one year of lab science if your high school offers it)
- Two years of social science
- One additional year of English, math or natural/physical science
- Four additional years of English, math, sciences, foreign language, comparative religion or philosophy
- You must complete 10 core courses before your seventh semester (senior year), including seven in English, math or natural/physical science. Once you begin your seventh semester, you may not repeat or replace any of those 10 courses to improve your core-course GPA.
- You must earn at least a 2.3 GPA in your core courses
- You must graduate high school.
- Receive final certification on your amateurism status via the NCAA Eligibility Center
NCAA Division 2 Eligibility Requirements:
- You must complete 16 NCAA-approved core courses:
- Three years of English
- Two years of math (Algebra 1 or higher)
- Two years of natural/physical science (including one year of lab science if your high school offers it)
- Three additional years of English, math or natural/physical science
- Two years of social science
- Four additional years of English, math, natural/physical science, social science, foreign language, comparative religion or philosophy
- You must complete 10 core courses before your seventh semester (senior year), including seven in English, math or natural/physical science. Once you begin your seventh semester, you may not repeat or replace any of those 10 courses to improve your core-course GPA.
- You must earn at least a 2.2 GPA in your core courses that are outlined the NCAA academic requirements.
- You must graduate high school.
- Receive final certification on your amateurism status via the NCAA Eligibility Center
What are the Core Course Requirements with the NCAA?
NCAA colleges require prospective student-athletes to complete and pass “core courses” to be eligible to compete at the NCAA Division 1 and division 2 college levels. Learn more about core courses.
When to Begin Focusing on NCAA Eligibility?
Student-athletes will need to begin thinking about their eligibility when they begin 9th grade. This is when student- athletes can meet with their academic counselors to ensure that they are taking the correct college-prep courses. NCAA Division 1 and Division 2 levels require that students pass all required core courses.
How Many Years of Eligibility Do You Get?
You have up to 5 years of athletic eligibility, starting from initial college enrollment.
Maintaining NCAA Eligibility
How do you maintain your eligibility once you are in college? Here is an overview of the academic eligibility requirements once you are in college:
10th grade:
- Have a cumulative GPA of 1.8
- Have completed 36 units
- Declared a major (end of year)
11th grade:
- Have a cumulative GPA of 1.9
- Have completed 72 units (40% of your total requirements)
12th grade:
- Have a cumulative GPA of 2.0
- Have completed 108 units (60% of your requirements)
Fifth year:
- Have a cumulative GPA of 2.0
- Have completed 144 units (80% of your requirements)
Registering with the NCAA Eligibility Center
The NCAA Eligibility Center, is where recruits need to register and be cleared in order to participate in college sports. College sports programs will be unable to offer Division 1 and 2 recruits athletic scholarships until they have registered with the NCAA Eligibility Center.
Each of the three NCAA divisions has separate NCAA eligibility rules that potential recruits are required to meet. Student-athletes must decide which division level they will be best matched for to determine which NCAA eligibility rules they will fall under.
Registering with the eligibility center is only necessary if you are planning to compete at the NCAA Division 1 or Division 2 level.
How Do NCAA Eligibility Rules Work?
For possible college recruits to follow NCAA scholarship rules, they will need to fulfill all college prep core courses set in place by NCAA eligibility requirements.
If you wish to transfer and be released from your college scholarship you will need to ask to be released from your current institution.
Once attending their college, student-Athletes must meet the minimum required courses per quarter or semester to uphold athletic scholarships and financial aid.
NCAA Athlete Rules
Maintaining Amateurism Status
Before competing at the college level, as part of the NCAA Eligibility Rules, potential student-athletes are asked to answer several questions regarding their sports participation, ensuring that all recruits meet NCAA Athlete Rules and compete on fair ground.
Once an athlete is registered with the NCAA eligibility center, the recruit will be given an NCAA ID number that will be used by D1 or D2 college coaches recruiting the athlete. This allows the athlete to officially be offered an NLI.
Division 3 amateurism is completed individually by the college or university.
NCAA Continuing Eligibility Requirements
After being recruited to play college sports, this is where athletes will hear the terms “continuing eligibility” and “progress toward degree”. Student-athletes need to stay on track in order to maintain progress toward a baccalaureate or equivalent degree to stay eligible to at the NCAA level.
The full NCAA and NAIA Academic Requirements
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