Photo by Alan Versaw.
I am excited to announce this spring I have lined up several collegiate athletes and committed a few college coaches to do interviews with me about the college recruiting process. Hopefully their insights into their experiences will be able to help you learn about what it takes to compete at the collegiate level. In this first edition I wanted to thank all the athletes who took their time and the coaches who have agreed to. As even a high school coach can tell you, college coaches have their hands full with coaching year round. Before I get started with this series I wanted to take a minute to discuss who is eligible and who isn't. The below article talks about the nuts and bolts of what needs to happen BEFORE you can get recruited by any school
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It's not up for review or comment. The NCAA and NAIA eligibility centers are in place to help student who want to play college sports are equipped to suicceed in the classroom as well. If you want to run (or throw, jump, hurdle, or vault), under a college scholarship, you must first deal with one or both of the two initial eligibility centers--one for NCAA schools and the other for NAIA schools. Many high school athletes will end up dealing with both initial eligibility centers before making a decision of what school they will attend. Please see the following links:
NCAA Initial Eligibility Center
NAIA Initial Eligibility Center
It's costs real money--just not very much (NCAA - $70, NAIA - $65)--to register with either of the initial eligibility centers. Fee waiver procedures are in place, however, for those who qualify.
When should I start the initial eligibility check process?
Many prospective college student-athletes do not begin the process until sometime during their senior year of high school. But, if you know as a high school junior that you want to compete in college sports at the NCAA DI, NCAA DII, or NAIA level, you should start the initial eligibility process sometime during your junior year of high school. Both Eligibility centers have a process by which you can learn as early as your junior if you qualify academically to compete for a member school. Here is a quick outline of what is required to have an early determination of eligibility:
NCAA Division I
SAT scores - 900 combined math/verbal - or - ACT scores - 75 combined
3.0 GPA or higher with 14 core courses completed by the end of the junior year. Those core courses must meet the following minimums: 3 years of English, 2 years of math, 2 years of science, two additional years of core courses in English, math, or science, plus five additional core courses (which may include foreign language).
NCAA Division II
SAT scores - 1000 combined math/verbal - or - ACT scores - 85 combined
3.0 GPA or higher with 12 core courses completed by the end of the junior year. Those core courses must meet the following minimums: 3 years of English, 2 years of math, 2 years of science, plus five additional core courses (which may include foreign language)
NAIA
SAT scores - 860 combined math/verbal - or - ACT Composite score - 18
3.0 GPA at the end of the student's junior year - or - 2.5 GPA at the end of the first semester of the student's senior year
Having the early academic certification in place not only makes life easier for the college coach recruiting the athlete, but further indicates the individual possesses the kind of responsibility in taking care of business ahead of time that every college coach likes to see. If you're looking for an athletic scholarship, that is the right impression to make on your future college coach. Make every effort to get an early certification or determination of academic eligibility, and get it done before the beginning of your senior year. Note that you may not sign a National Letter of Intent for a college scholarship during your senior year of high school without early academic certification (NCAA) or early determination (NAIA). A later issue in this series will address the NLI in greater detail.
This will mean including the NCAA or NAIA (or both) recipients of your ACT or SAT test scores taken during your junior year. Neither eligibility center accepts ACT/SAT score reports solely from transcripts. You must select the NCAA (code 9999) or NAIA (code 9876) initial eligibility center as recipients of your test scores directly from your testing agency.
It also means going to your high school counseling center and ensuring that your coursework meets the eligibility requirements for the NCAA and/or NAIA and getting an official transcript sent to the eligibility center(s) at the end of your junior year.
Please further note that you will still need to have final high school transcripts sent to either elibility center indicating you have completed the full complement of required core courses at the end of your senior year of high school.
What is the full complement of requirements for initial eligibility?
NAIA
High school graduation plus any two of the three of the following:
18 ACT Composite, or 860 SAT math/verbal
2.0 high school GPA
Graduate in top half of your high school class
NCAA
It is highly recommended that a high school student-athlete download a copy of the current year's guide for the college-bound student athlete and discuss all coursework with his or her high school counseling office, but basics of the requirements are as follows:
Division I
4 years of English
3 years of math (Algebra I or higher)
2 years of natural or physical science
1 additional year of English, math, or science
2 years of social science
4 years of additional core courses from the above or foreign language (certain courses in philosophy or comparative religion also count)
Possess requisite ACT/SAT scores on the sliding scale for your particular GPA (see your high school counseling office or the NCAA Guide for the College Bound Student Athlete for particulars)
Division II
3 years of English
2 years of math (Algebra I or high)
2 years of natural or physical science
3 additional years of English, math, or science
2 years of social science
4 years of additional core courses (same restrictions here as with Division I)
2.0 GPA or higher in core coursework
Combined SAT of 820 or ACT total of 68
Division III
There is no initial eligibility certification for NCAA Division III schools. These schools are left to determine their own standards for athletic eligibility.
Below are links for downloadable copies of this year's guides for college bound student-athletes:
Until and unless you have completed your initial eligibility registration, you are not ready to seriously begin the search for a college athletic scholarship. Begin here. Get the registration process out of the way first, during your junior year. Have your ACT/SAT scores reported to the eligibility center(s). Have transcripts sent to the eligibility center(s) at the end of your junior year. It's not that complicated; make sure you get it done.
<p style="text-align: center;"> <strong style="text-align: center; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">A special thanks goes out to all the coaches and athletes who particpated in this series with me.</strong></p>