If students or their parents/guardians have questions about their eligibility or the registration process, they can call the toll-free line at 1-877-262-1492. International students should call 317-917-6222.

Register with the NCAA Eligibility Center

 

READY.SET.GO

Grade 9

• Students need to ask their counselor for a list of their high school’s NCAA core courses to make sure they take the right classes.

Grade 10

• Students need to register with the NCAA Eligibility Center at eligibilitycenter.org.

Grade 11

• Students will need to check with their counselor to make sure they will graduate on time with the required number of NCAA core courses.
• Students wil need to take the ACT or SAT and submit their scores to the NCAA using code 9999.
• At the end of the year, students will need to ask their counselor to upload their official transcript to the NCAA Eligibility Center.

Grade 12

• Students will need to finish their last NCAA core courses.
• Students will need to take the ACT or SAT again, if necessary, and submit their scores to the NCAA using code 9999.
• Students will need to complete all academic and amateurism questions in your NCAA Eligibility Center account at eligibilitycenter.org.
• After graduating, students can ask their counselor to submit their final official transcript with proof of graduation to the NCAA Eligibility Center.

 

DIVISION I ACADEMIC ELIGIBILITY

To be eligible to compete in NCAA sports during their first year at a Division I school, students must graduate high school and meet ALL the following requirements:

• Complete 16 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)
  • One additional year 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
• Complete 10 core courses, including seven in English, math or natural/physical science, before your seventh semester. Once you begin your seventh semester, you may not repeat or replace any of those 10 courses to improve your core-course GPA.
• Earn at least a 2.3 GPA in your core courses.

• Earn an SAT combined score or ACT sum score matching your core-course GPA on the Division I sliding scale, which balances your test score and core-course GPA. If you have a low test score, you need a higher core-course GPA to be eligible. If you have a low core-course GPA, you need a higher test score to be eligible.

 

WHAT IF STUDENTS DON’T MEET THE REQUIREMENTS?

If a student has not met all the Division I academic requirements, they may not compete in college sports their first year of college. However, if they qualify as an academic redshirt, they may practice during their first term in college and receive an athletics scholarship for the entire year.

To qualify as an academic redshirt, students must graduate high school and meet ALL the following academic requirements:

• Complete 16 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)
  • One additional year 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
• Earn at least a 2.0 GPA in your core courses.

• Earn an SAT combined score or ACT sum score matching your core-course GPA on the Division I sliding scale.

If a student athelete is concerned they may not meet the Division I academic requirements, consider taking the following actions:

• Ask for advice and accountability from their high school counselor. Check in with the admissions or compliance office at the college they hope to attend.
• Get tutoring or other study help.
• Graduate on time. Division I schools allow college-bound student athletes who graduate on-time to take one core course during the year after they graduate high school.
• Avoid quick fixes through credit recovery programs. These courses may not be accepted by the NCAA.
• Keep completed coursework. If the NCAA Eligibility Center needs to review a student athlete's record due to irregularities, they may be asked to provide their coursework.
• Follow high school's policies. The best thing to do is work within the rules.

 

AMATEURISM

The NCAA promotes amateurism to create a level playing field for all student athletes. The young men and women who compete in college sports are students first, athletes second. If a student athlete wants to compete in NCAA sports at a Division I school, they must have a completed amateurism certification in their Eligibility Center account.

For questions about name, image and likeness, click here (PDF).

Learn more about amateurism