Get Recruited
Find out how to become eligible to get recruited to play college sports
The National Collegiate Athletic Association, more commonly known as the NCAA, governs 24 different collegiate sports programs at nearly 1,300 Division I, Division II, and Division III schools throughout the United States.
To help you find your perfect fit and, understand your role and, responsibility – the following will help you navigate the recruiting maze.
NCAA Eligibility Guidelines – Core Course Requirements for NCAA Division I & II
Academic Standards for Initial-Eligibility
Academic Standards
The NCAA Eligibility Center verifies the academic and amateur status of all student-athletes who wish to compete in Division I or II athletics.
College-bound student-athletes who want to practice, compete and receive athletically related financial aid during their first year at a Division I or II school need to meet the following requirements:
- Graduate from high school.
- Complete a minimum of 16 core courses for Division I or II.
- Earn a minimum required grade-point average in core courses.
- Earn a qualifying test score on either the ACT or SAT.
- Request final amateurism certification from the NCAA Eligibility Center.
For Division I student-athletes, the following must be completed in addition to the above standards:
- Earn at least a 2.3 grade-point average in core courses.
- Meet an increased sliding-scale standard (for example, an SAT score of 820 requires a 2.5 high school core course GPA)
- Successfully complete 10 of the 16 total required core courses before the start of their seventh semester in high school.
- Seven of the 10 courses must be successfully completed in English, math and science.
Students who earn at least a 2.0 GPA and meet the current Division I sliding-scale standard will be deemed an Academic Redshirt.
Academic redshirt student-athletes are eligible for practice in the first academic term, will receive athletically related financial aid the entire year, but will not be able to compete.
Freshmen who are academically successful in the first term will earn the ability to continue to practice in the next academic term.
Division II Academic Eligibility
To be eligible to compete in NCAA sports during your first year at a Division II school, you must meet academic requirements for your core courses, grade-point average (GPA) and test scores.
You must graduate high school and meet ALL the following requirements:
- Complete 16 core courses:
- Three years of English.
- Two years of math (Algebra 1 or higher).
- Two years of natural or physical science (including one year of lab science if your high school offers it).
- Three additional years of English, math or natural or physical science
- Two years of social science
- Four additional years of English, math, natural or physical science, social science, foreign language, comparative religion or philosophy
- Earn at least a 2.2 GPA in your core courses.
- Earn an SAT combined score or ACT sum score matching your core-course GPA on the Division II sliding scale, which balances your test score and core-course GPA. If you have a low test score, you need a higher core-course GPA to be eligible. If you have a low core-course GPA, you need a higher test score to be eligible.
Division III colleges and universities set their own admission standards. The NCAA does not set initial-eligibility requirements in Division III.
To learn more and, to register visit: www.NCAA.org or to learn more about “Core Course requirements” visit: https://www.ncaa.org/student-athletes/future/core-courses
If your goal is to play NAIA – you will need to register and, follow all eligibility requirements.
To register or learn more visit: www.NAIA.org