NCAA Eligibility

The NCAA, or National Collegiate Athletic Association, serves as the athletics governing body for more than 1,280 colleges, universities, conferences and organizations in Division I, II and III. The NCAA is committed to the student-athlete and to governing competition in a fair, safe, inclusive and sportsmanlike manner.

NCAA regulations require all incoming student-athletes to meet a prescribed level of academic performance while maintaining their amateur status before entering college. Those who wish to compete at the Division I or II level must be certified by the NCAA Eligibility Center (more info below), which looks at two main criteria:


Academics

The grade-point average considered by the NCAA only includes what are considered “core courses” – and all prospective students must have taken 16 of these core courses, including 10 prior to the seventh semester of high school. The NCAA Eligibility Center includes important details on those requirements, plus lists of approved core courses at specific high schools or in each Canadian province.

What You Need to Do:

  • Take 16 NCAA-approved core courses in your first four years of high school; you can find a list of approved courses for each U.S. high school or Canadian province on eligibilitycenter.org. Take at least 10 of those courses prior to the start of your senior year.
  • Submit transcripts to the NCAA Eligibility Center.
  • If you would like to take university classes after high school but before beginning your NCAA playing career, do so as a part-time student – do not enroll full-time.

For more information on academic eligibility requirements visit the links below or check out our FAQ.

Amateurism

The NCAA Eligibility Center will certify each prospective student-athlete’s amateur status prior to clearing them for competition at the Division I level.

For more information on amateurism eligibility requirements, visit the links below or check out our FAQ.

NCAA Resources

Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete (.pdf) – The Guide is a highly comprehensive tool that has been designed to help navigate the NCAA initial-eligibility process and to prepare student-athletes for transitioning from high school to becoming an NCAA Division I or II student-athlete.

Initial-Eligibility Brochure (.pdf) – A quick guide to the standards and steps that it takes to become an NCAA Division I or II student-athlete.

The NCAA Eligibility Center

The NCAA Eligibility Center in Indianapolis, Indiana – sometimes referred to as the “clearinghouse” – certifies the academic and amateur credentials of all college-bound student-athletes who wish to compete in NCAA Division I or II athletics.

NCAA Eligibility Center (eligibilitycenter.org)

If you plan to participate in intercollegiate athletics at an NCAA Division I or II institution, you must have both your academic and amateurism status certified by the eligibility center before representing the institution in competition. We recommend that prospective student-athletes register with the Eligibility Center by your grade 11 year. You likely should review the site before that time to ensure compliance with the NCAA’s requirements, particularly as they relate to core courses.

The eligibility center will collect data from high schools, sport-sanctioning bodies and, most importantly, high school student-athletes in order to make eligibility decisions. Ultimately, the individual student-athlete is responsible for achieving and protecting his or her eligibility status. If any penalties are assessed by the NCAA Eligibility Center, you will have an opportunity to appeal the decision.

Additional information regarding NCAA amateurism rules is available on the NCAA Eligibility Center’s resource page or by visiting our FAQ.