Many high school student-athletes want to play their sport collegiately. Ensuring you know the basics of the NCAA requirements are an often overlooked part of this process.
Be sure to visit the NCAA Eligibility Center for the most updated and thorough information.
Below are some of the major points of emphasis to be familiar with.
NCAA Eligibility
Academically, the NCAA requires a mix of “core” courses (a 16-course list including a mix of English, Math, etc.), a minimum grade-point average for Divisions I and II (changing in 2016 to a 2.3 GPA) and a minimum combined SAT or ACT score based on a sliding scale.
These requirements are capricious – they are undergoing an overhaul in 2016, for example – so be sure to check with your high school beginning your freshman year to be sure you are on track.
You can find these eligibility requirements in detail on the NCAA’s website, but the key element here: Don’t get knocked out of the recruiting game before it stats by slacking in the classroom!
Other eligibility requirements include far less common instances such as ensuring you have never participated in a sport professionally. These occurrences for high school players are unlikely, but certainly possible. Review the NCAA guidelines if you think you may fall into this subsection.
Scholarship Opportunities
Athletic scholarships at the NCAA Division I and Division II levels are a huge draw for players and families. Keep in mind that for NCAA Division III and select Division I schools (notably those competing in the Ivy and Patriot Leagues – Harvard, Yale, Bucknell, Lehigh, etc.), there are no athletic scholarships.
According to the NCAA, about 2 percent of high school athletes will receive some form of an athletic scholarship. Be realistic when exploring your options, and do your research!
Sports are classified by the NCAA as either “equivalency” or “headcount” sports.
“Equivalency” simply means scholarship money can be spread among players, unlike “headcount” sports like football, where a certain number of players only may receive money. Most sports are considered “equivalency” sports.
A simple way to think of this principle is to consider scholarships in total monetary terms vs. individual scholarship numbers. For example, if an equivalency sport team has $100 in scholarships and 10 players, it can provide every player $10, or some other combination of their choosing. Conversely, in a headcount sport, a team must give that $100 to a specified number of players only – say 5 of the 10 team members.
Committing to a School
There are generally two steps when you have decided on a school to attend. The first is the “verbal” commitment, and the second signing a National Letter of Intent (NLI).
Verbal Commitments
A “verbal” commitment is a non-binding agreement where you have committed to a school before you can actually sign a letter of intent. Generally, these are made prior to your senior year, and serve as a sort of “handshake agreement” to attend a school.
National Letter of Intent (NLI)
The National Letter of Intent is a binding agreement in which you sign a letter agreeing to attend a particular school (and that school only). It is an official document tying you to an institution.
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