Tuesday, September 9, 2014

Know the New Standards for 2016

NCAA initial eligibility requirements will change for student-athletes enrolling on or after Aug. 1, 2016.

Know the New Standards for 2016

Division I student-athletes who plan to enroll at NCAA schools on or after Aug. 1, 2016, will be subject to slightly stricter initial eligibility requirements, as outlined by the NCAA.

NCAA Eligibility | EligibilityCenter.org | Quick Reference Sheet

The new standards, which were adopted by the NCAA in 2012, are outlined in depth at the NCAA Eligibility Center (EligibilityCenter.org), the group formerly known as the NCAA Clearinghouse that certifies student-athletes’ initial eligibility for Division I and II athletics. All prospective student-athletes should be registered with the NCAA Eligibility Center.

These new standards will be in effect for any student-athletes enrolling on or after Aug. 1, 2016, regardless of their high school graduation date. Therefore, current high school seniors who may be planning to play a year or two of junior hockey should be aware of these new requirements, as they may enroll after that date.

Prospective student-athletes still need to take 16 “core” courses in high school, as defined by the NCAA. The new standards dictate that at least 10 of those courses must be completed before the start of a prospect’s seventh semester of high school, or their grade 12 year. Seven of those 10 classes must be in English, math or natural/physical science.

** Note: The requirement to take 10 core courses prior to Grade 12 apply only to student-athletes who have spent part or all of their high school career in the United States. Full international students – who spent no part of high school in the U.S. – are not subject to this requirement. **

The grades from those 10 classes taken prior to 12th grade are “locked in” for the calculation of a prospect’s core course GPA, meaning that those grades cannot be improved upon during or after grade 12. More than ever, academic performance throughout high school will have an impact on a student-athlete’s eligibility.

Finally, the minimum core course GPA and SAT/ACT scores required for initial eligibility will be raised. Those scores are weighed on a sliding scale (see below). The GPA is determined by a student-athlete’s grades in those 16 core courses, while their SAT or ACT scores (they only need to take one of the standardized tests, not both) are based on:

  • SAT: best subscore from both the critical reading and math sections, combined
  • ACT: best subscore from each of English, math, reading and science sections, combined

The new standards also include limits for redshirts, who would qualify for athletic scholarships and be eligible to practice but not compete with a team as freshmen.

Below is the new sliding scale, in effect for student-athletes enrolling on or after Aug. 1, 2016. For further information, please visit EligibilityCenter.org.

NCAA Division I Sliding Scale
Effective Aug. 1, 2016
Core GPA SAT ACT
3.550 400 37
3.525 410 38
3.500 420 39
3.475 430 40
3.450 440 41
3.425 450 41
3.400 460 42
3.375 470 42
3.350 480 43
3.325 490 44
3.300 500 44
3.275 510 45
3.250 520 46
3.225 530 46
3.200 540 47
3.175 550 47
3.150 560 48
3.125 570 49
3.100 580 49
3.075 590 50
3.050 600 50
3.025 610 51
3.000 620 52
2.975 630 52
2.950 640 53
2.925 650 53
2.900 660 54
2.875 670 55
2.850 680 56
2.825 690 56
2.800 700 57
2.775 710 58
2.750 720 59
2.725 730 60
2.700 740 61
2.675 750 61
2.650 760 62
2.625 770 63
2.600 780 64
2.575 790 65
2.550 800 66
2.525 810 67
2.500 820 68
2.475 830 69
2.450 840 70
2.425 850 70
2.400 860 71
2.375 870 72
2.350 880 73
2.325 890 74
2.300 900 75
Below meet redshirt requirements (for scholarship, practice)
2.299 910 76
2.275 910 76
2.250 920 77
2.225 930 78
2.200 940 79
2.175 950 80
2.150 960 81
2.125 970 82
2.100 980 83
2.075 990 84
2.050 1000 85
2.025 1010 86
2.000 1020 86