NCAA Eligibility CenterNCAA Eligibility Center

1. General Information

2. Academic Eligibility

3. Core Courses, GPA & Test Scores

4. Certification – Academic & Amateur

5. Steps to Take

6. Registering for the Eligibility Center

7. Recruiting

8. Things to Consider

9. Summary

10. Resources

Formerly known as the NCAA Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse

Located in Indianapolis, IN.

Responsible for ALL initial-eligibility certifications for prospective student-athletes entering Division I and II institutions.

Initial-eligibility certification includes and academic AND amateur certification

A. Division I Requirements

B. Division II Requirements

C. Division III Requirements

To participate in athletics and/or receive an athletics scholarship during your first year of a Division I School, you MUST:

Graduate from high school on time!Complete 16 core courses:Earn a minimum required grade point average in core coursesEarn a combined SAT or ACT sum score that matches your core-course grade point average and test score sliding scale.

4 years of English3 years of math (algebra 1 or higher)2 years of natural or physical science (including one year of lab science)1 extra year of English, math, or natural or physical science2 years of social science4 years of extra core courses

Time Constraint: You MUST graduate from high school with your incoming

ninth-grade class. If high school graduation is on June 2, you must graduate June 2. If you do not, you have not completed your requirements “on time.”

You have four years or eight semesters to complete the 16 core-course requirement.

If you graduate on time, you may use one core course completed after graduation to meet NCAA Division I eligibility requirements.

Graduate from high school

Complete 14 core courses. All core courses completed before full-time enrollment may be used by the Eligibility Center

Earn a 2.00 GPA in core courses.

Earn a combined SAT score of 820 or ACT sum score of 68. There is no sliding scale in Division II

To participate in athletics and/or receive an athletics scholarship during your first year of a Division II School, you MUST:

3 years of English2 years of math (algebra 1 or higher)2 years of natural or physical science (including one year of lab science)2 extra years of English, math, or natural or physical science2 years of social science3 years of extra core courses

Division III does not use the Eligibility Center.

Please contact the Division III college or university to inquire about its policies on admission, financial aid, competition and practice.

Definition of a Core Course:

A course that qualifies for high school graduation in one or more of the following: English, mathematics, natural or physical science, social science, foreign language, religion or philosophy;

Is considered four-year college preparatory

Is taught at or above the high school’s regular academic level

Mathematic courses are at the Algebra 1 level or higher

Taught by a qualified instructor as defined by the appropriate academic authority.

To access North Point High School’s list of approved courses on line, go to :

www.eligibilitycenter.org Select “resources”, then “US High School students” and “List of

Approved Core Courses” on the right under “Are You on Track”

Then select “List of Approved Core Courses” from the menu bar on the left.

Enter North Point’s school code (HS code 211061) and press submit.

Division I Requirements based on GPA

Division II does not use a sliding scale with GPA & Test Scores.

GPA must be 2.000 or higher

Combined SAT score of 820 or ACT sum score of 68

A. Early Certification

B. Academic Certification

C. Amateurism

If you meet the following criteria after six semesters, you will be certified as a qualifier: Minimum SAT (math and critical reading) of 1000 or minimum sum

score of 85 on the ACT;

For Division I: Core-course grade-point average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher in a minimum of 13 core courses:

3 English, 2 math, 2 science & 6 additional core courses.

For Division II: Core-course GPA of 3.0 or higher in a minimum of 12 core courses:

3 English, 2 math, 2 science & 5 additional courses.

3 Components to Academic Certification

Qualifying score on ACT or SAT

Qualifying GPA in core classes

Graduation from High School

Eligibility Center encourages student-athletes to update their athletic participation information often, especially if they participate in events outside of the normal high school season.

Stay college eligible – always ask before you act! Amateurism Red Flags…Ask questions before:

Signing a contract with a professional team Receiving money for participating in athletics Receiving prize money above actual and necessary expenses Playing with professional athletes Trying out, practicing or competing with a professional team Receiving benefits from an agent or prospective agent Agreeing to be represented by an agent Participating in organized competition after your first opportunity to

enroll in college

Freshmen & Sophomores Start planning now. Take classes that match your high school’s NCAA List of Approved

Core Courses. Juniors:

At the beginning of your junior year, log on to the Eligibility Center Web site at www.eligibilitycenter.org and register. $60.00 registration fee.

Register to take the ACT,SAT or both and use the Eligibility Center Code “9999” as a score recipient.

Double check to make sure you’re taking approved courses. Request that your high school guidance counselor send an official

transcript to the Eligibility Center after completing junior year. NO FAXED Transcripts

Seniors: Take the SAT and/or ACT as often as you feel necessary. The

Eligibility Center will use the best scores from each section of the SAT or ACT to determine your best cumulative score

Continue to take core courses Review Amateurism questionnaire responses and request final

amateurism certification beginning April 1 (for fall enrollees) or October 1 (for spring enrollees).

Graduate ON TIME!! If you fall behind, use summer school sessions prior to graduation to catch up.

After graduation, ask your high school guidance counselor to send your final transcript to the Eligibility Center with proof of graduation.

www.eligibilitycenter.org - To create a new account either click on the “New Account” button on the top right of screen or the cell phone on the left.

Valid email address required – be sure to use one that will be active after you have graduated from high school.

Follow directions to complete the process

$65 registration fee

A. Overview

B. Freshman Year

C. Sophomore Year

D. Junior Year

E. Senior Year

Before a Division I college or university may invite you on an official visit, you must provide them with a copy of your high school transcript and SAT or ACT score(s). You must also register with the Eligibility Center.

Division II colleges and universities require official SAT or ACT scores, along with registering with the Eligibility Center.

You may take a maximum of five expense-paid visits, with no more than one permitted to any single college or university. This restriction applies only for expense-paid visits to Division I or II institutions.

Get settled in high school. Concentrate on a solid high school curriculum.

Setup a workout schedule allowing comfortable time for academics and sports

If you think you are interested in attending a college for a sport, send an introduction letter or e-mail in your freshman year..

Prepare your athletic resume.

Continue striving for academic success. Research NCAA academic requirements.

Make sure that you are “on target” for all core requirements. Visit your High School career center to start investigating colleges

and their admission requirements. Refine and update your resume. Send an updated letter to the schools you are interested in. During the summer between your Sophomore and Junior years,

update your athletic resume.

Continue or begin to send out athletic resumes now, if you have not already done so.

Register with the NCAA Initial Eligibility Clearinghouse (it’s never too early, but it can be too late)

Request that ACT/SAT test scores be sent to the NCAA Initial Eligibility Clearninghouse

Keep up with studies and review NCAA requirements to make sure they have not changed.

Keep investigating other colleges and send out additional resumes.

Visit some of the campuses that you are interested in.

In July, after completion of your Junior year, phone contacts initiated by college coaches is permissible. Begin heavy contact with the schools you are interested in, even making a few phone calls (but REMEMBER that coaches cannot call you back until July 1st after you complete your junior year).

Update your academic information with the Clearinghouse. If your top choices of colleges have not panned out send MORE info to your second and third choices. If coaches want to make home visits, they will do this after July 1st.

Update academics with Clearinghouse.

DO NOT WAIT UNTIL YOUR SENIOR YEAR TO MAKE FIRST CONTACT OR REGISTER FOR THE CLEARINGHOUSE

Do not let up on academics Review core requirements with your high school counselor Send out your team schedule as soon as possible. Keep college coaches posted on any changes or updates to your

team schedules. Send out last of resumes, if new interest in other schools Find out Letter of Intent dates for your sport from NCAA Take advantage of no more than five college paid Official Visits, if

offered. Ask a lot of questions and weigh all the advantage and

disadvantages of the schools your are interested in.

A. Balancing Academics and Athletics

B. What to Consider when looking at a college

C. Level of Play

D. Financial Aid

E. Probability of Making it to Pros

Time Requirements of College Athletics 12 Credit Hours course load minimum National Championship Season – 20 hours per week

Includes: 20 Competitions Strength Training Meetings Individual Training Sessions Individual Meetings

The Critical Skill – Time Management

Can you live away from home? Country/Region of the Country City – Large, Midsize, Small School – Large, Midsize, Small/Private or State

Starter, Substitute, Practice Player, Red-shirt (A year of not competing but can train and can be on scholarship)

Quality of FIT or Quantity of Financial Aid (Scholarship)? Is it the right FIT for you?

Level of Play?

Differences between NCAA Division I, II, III & NAIA? Number of scholarships offered by sport Rules governing the sports and institutions with regard to

recruiting, training & competition Standard of play

Level of Play

All athletic scholarships awarded by NCAA institutions are limited to one year and are renewable each academic year and may be reduced or withdrawn.

Athletic scholarships may be renewed each academic year for a maximum of five years within a six-year period of continuous college attendance.

Athletics scholarships are awarded in a variety of amounts, ranging from full scholarships (including tuition fees, room, board and books) to partial scholarships (e.g. books only).

THERE ARE NO FOUR-YEAR ATHLETIC SCHOLARSHIPS!!!

Approximately 3.3% of senior girls will play at a NCAA member institutionApproximately 1% of NCAA female senior players will get drafted by WNBA

Approximately .02% of high school seniors will eventually be drafted by a WNBA team

Approximately 5.7% of senior boys will play at a NCAA member institution

Approximately 1.8% of NCAA male senior players will get drafted by NFL

Approximately .08% of high school seniors will eventually be drafted by a NFL team

Approximately 3% of senior boys will play at a NCAA member institutionApproximately 1.2% of NCAA male senior players will get drafted by NBA

Approximately .03% of high school seniors will eventually be drafted by a NBA team

All students planning to participate in Division I or II athletics as a freshman must register with the NCAA Eligibility Center

Students must receive both an academic AND amateurism certification

Division I: High School graduation, 16 core courses, core GPA/test score sliding scale.

Division II: High School graduation, 14 core courses, 2.0 core GPA, 820 SAT or 68 ACT

Division III: Students are not certified by the Eligibility Center

Eligibilitycenter.org College-bound student athletes complete their registration Check Status Download and print a copy of the 2009/2010 Guide for the College-Bound

Student Athlete. Access list of approved courses

NCAA.org Under “Academics & Athletes” section. Click on “Eligibility & recruiting”

and then click on “Information for College-Bound Student-Athletes and Parents.”

Act.org

Collegeboard.com

Northpointathletics.org for a copy of this presentation.