Do your student-athletes know the requirements to be eligible to compete? For Divisions I and II,your student-athletes must complete a total of 16 NCAA-approved core courses to be eligible to play their sport at the collegiate level. Divisions I and II have different core-course requirements. Click here for a resource you can share with your students to help ensure they are on track with these core-course requirements.
Is your student-athlete being recruited by a Division I school?To study and compete at a Division Ischool, your student-athletes must complete 10 of their 16 core courses (including seven in English, math or science) before the start of their seventh semester. (International student-athletes don't have this requirement.) Click here for Division II requirements.
Student-Athlete Timeline: Steps for Each Year
Knowing what your student-athletes need to do each year (starting in ninth grade) can go a long way toward helping them achieve their dreams.
Grade 9: Register
If they haven’t yet, remind them to register for a free Profile Page account at eligibilitycenter.org.
Help them to find their high school’s list of NCAA-approved core courses at eligibilitycenter.org/courselist to ensure they're taking the right courses and earning the best grades possible!
Encourage them to monitor the task listin their NCAA Eligibility Center account for next steps.
At the end of the school year, remind them to ask their high school counselor from each school they attended to upload an official transcript to their Eligibility Center account.
If they fall behind academically, help them ask their high school counselor for help finding approved courses they can take.
Grade 11: Study
Remind them to ensure their sports participationinformation is correct in their Eligibility Center account.
Help athletes check with their high school counselor to make sure they're on track to complete the required number of NCAA-approved core courses and graduate on time with their class.
Share their NCAA ID with college coaches and remind students to include it with every correspondence with college coaches.
At the end of the school year, remind them to ask their high school counselor from each school they have attended to upload an official transcript to their Eligibility Center account.
Don't forget: Each student must apply and be accepted to the NCAA school they plan to attend! This is a separate process from the NCAA Eligibility Center.
Encourage students to complete their final NCAA-approved core courses as they prepare for graduation.
After they graduate, remind them to ask their high school counselor to upload their final official transcript with proof of graduation to their Eligibility Center account.
Save the Date: Spring Coaches Webinar
March 6, 6-7 p.m. Eastern Time
Thank you to everyone who completed our survey on the best date and time for a webinar for high school and nonscholastic coaches! Mark your calendars now for March 6, 6-7 p.m. Eastern time, and plan to attend the Eligibility Center's first-ever coaches webinar. In collaboration with the National Federation of State High School Associations, this one-hour event will include information on initial eligibility, recruiting, the coaching experience, and more. Please save this date and watch for registration in next month's newsletter.
Resource Reminder: Frequently Asked Questions
Receiving questions about the Eligibility Center's process that you can't answer? Visit the Eligibility Center's online FAQfor answers to many of the questions you or your student-athletes may have. This is also a great resource for questions parents, families or other advocates may send your way, including:
Feel free to share ncaa.org/studentfaq in your school or organization's website, emails, newsletters or other correspondence to your student-athletes/families.
Presentation Inquiry Form
Are you planning a presentation to local coaches, or working with a large group of student-athletes? If so, the Eligibility Center can provide support for your presentation. Click here to tell us more about your event and audience. Eligibility Center staff will reach out to determine available materials and resources to help with your event.
Sport Science Institute: YouTube Content Now Available
Ready to learn more about concussion safety protocols and mental health best practices for athletes? Recorded webinars from the Sports Science Institute are now available on the SSI’s YouTube channel. The webinar series also features the following resources:
Additional webinars and resources related to mental and physical health, safety and performance will be added in the months ahead.
The NCAA Sport Science Institute is a leader in providing health and safety resources to college athletes, coaches, athletics administrators and campus partners.
