Athletes that plan on competing at the NCAA Division I or Division II level are required to register with the NCAA Eligibility Center (formerly referred to as the NCAA Clearinghouse). The Eligibility Center evaluates your amateur status, core courses taken in high school, GPA, and standardized test scores to determine if you’re eligible at the Division I or Division II level as a freshman.
Remember, you cannot participate in Division I or Division II athletics if you aren’t cleared by the NCAA Eligibility Center.
Registering with the NCAA Eligibility Center
Online registration takes less than one hour at the NCAA Eligibility Center website. Detailed information about registration is available online and by downloading the NCAA’s Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete. Ideally, you should register during the summer after your junior year of high school.
Requirements for Eligibility
More detailed requirements for eligibility can be found in the Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete. But here are the basic guidelines outlining what you need to be aware of to ensure NCAA eligibility.
Meeting Core Course Requirements
Core courses are academic courses taught at a college preparatory level. If you’re not sure if some of your classes meet this criteria, ask your guidance counselor.
Core Course Requirements for Division I
- 4 years of English
- 3 years of math (Algebra 1 or higher)
- 2 years of natural or physical science
- 1 extra year of English, math, or natural or physical science
- 2 years of social science
- 4 years of extra core course (any category above or foreign language, comparative religion/philosophy)
Core Course Requirements for Division II
- 3 years of English
- 2 years of math (Algebra 1 or higher)
- 2 years of natural or physical science
- 3 extra years of English, math, or natural or physical science
- 2 years of social science
- 4 years of extra core course (any category above or foreign language, comparative religion/philosophy)
Standardized Test Scores/Grade Point Average
Division I uses a sliding scale to match SAT and ACT scores with a core grade-point average. A minimum GPA of 2.000 is required in your core courses.
Division II requires a minimum SAT score of 820 or an ACT sum score of 68. A minimum GPA of 2.000 is required in your core courses.
Note: When registering for the SAT or ACT be sure to use the NCAA Eligibility Center code of 9999 to ensure that scores are sent directly to NCAA.
Amateurism
NCAA eligibility rules also require amateurism certification. The NCAA Eligibility Center asks several questions about your participation in athletics to verify your status as an amateur. Some items that may raise a red flag concerning your amateur status:
- A contract with professional team
- Prize money or salary earned through athletics
- Tryouts, practice or competition with a professional team
- Benefits from an agent or agreement to be represented by an agent
- Delayed full-time college enrollment in order to participate in organized sports
- Any financial assistance stemming from athletics participation