NCAA Rules and Regulations
Questions:
Q: Do I have to register with the NCAA Eligibility Center?
A: Yes. All athletes who want to play Division I or Division II athletics are required to register with the eligibility center. If you do not then you cannot participate in athletics as a freshman.
Q: When do I need to register with the NCAA Eligibility Center?
A: At the beginning of your junior year of high school. This will allow college coaches to have the most up-to-date information about you. You need to have your high school send your transcripts to the eligibility center after you have completed your junior year (or six semesters). You will need to follow the steps at www.ncaaclearinghouse.net to become eligible. Use our clearinghouse feature to let coaches know of your eligibility status.
Q: What is involved with the registration process?
A: There are a series of steps to follow to complete the registration. The eligibility center does an excellent job walking you through the process. Some information you will need to have is: personal information including SSN and date of birth, high school address and code number (get your high school's code number from your counselor or at www.ncaaclearinghouse.net), sports you plan on participating in, your high school transcripts and ACT and SAT scores. Your high school has to be the one to send your transcripts. A very important rule change is that all SAT and ACT test scores must be reported directly from the testing agency. When you register for the SAT or ACT put the code of "9999" to ensure your test scores get sent to the eligibility center. ACT and SAT scores are not accepted by the eligibility center if sent on your high school transcripts.
Q: Does it cost to register with the NCAA Eligibility Center?
A: Yes. There is a processing fee of $50 ($75 for international students). The eligibility center only accepts debit card, credit card, or e-check. There is a possibility for a waiver in which you don't have to pay the processing fee. In order to be eligible to waive the registration fee, you must have been granted a waiver for the ACT or SAT fee. If you weren't then you can't apply to have your eligibility registration fee waived.
Q: What are core courses?
A: Core courses are a designated set of high school classes that must be completed to become eligible. They include the following subjects: English, mathematics, natural/physical science, social science, foreign language, non-doctrinal religion or philosophy. These courses have to meet your high schools standard academic level, and have to be completed no later than your high school graduation date. You can get a list of courses from your high school counselor or visit www.ncaalearinghouse.net.
Q: Can I use a core course taken after I graduated?
A: If you are enrolled in the NCAA Division I you can use only those courses completed in grades 9 through 12. An exception to the rule is when a student athlete graduates on time (in eight semesters), they can use one core course completed in the summer or academic year after graduation. The course cannot be completed later than that academic year following the student athlete's graduation date. The course can be completed at a location other than your high school.
-If you are enrolling in Division II you can use any courses that you complete prior to the start of your college career.
Q: How is my GPA figured to determine my eligibility status?
A: Core course GPA is calculated differently than your high school GPA. The scale is on an A, B, C, D evaluation with an A worth 4.00, a B worth 3.00, a C worth 2.00, and a D worth 1.00. The eligibility center does not use plus or minuses (+, -) and the lowest grade you can earn is a D. The eligibility center uses a scale to measure the length of a class and its value to your overall GPA. A trimester course is worth .33 units, a semester course is worth .5 units, and a year long course is worth 1.0 unit. Only your best grades from the core courses will be used. You can include other core course scores if they improve your overall GPA. If you have upgraded your profile than use the GPA tracker in your All-Purpose Calendar as tool to help you stay on track. Here is an example for you to calculate your GPA:
- An "A" in a semester course: 4 x .5 = 2 quality points and .5 credits earned
- A "B" in a year course: 3 x 1 = 1 quality point and 1 credits earned
- A "C" in a trimester course: 2 x .33 = .66 quality points and .33 credits earned
- A "B" in a semester course: 3 x .5 = 1.5 quality points and .5 credits earned
The next step is to calculate your grade point average. Add up your quality points and divide them by the amount of credits you have earned. For this example it would be:
5.16 quality points divided by 2.33 credits earn for a GPA of 2.21
Q: What are the core courses that I need to take to become eligible for Division I and Division II?
A: Division I has a rule in place about the core courses if you do not enroll in time. Notice the dates and the change in the minimum core courses you have to take.
Before August 1st, 2008:
Complete 14 core courses. They include:
- 4 years of English
- 2 years of mathematics *(algebra 1 or higher)*
- 2 years of natural or physical science *(one year must be a lab science)*
- 1 extra year of english, math, or science
- 2 years of social science
- 3 years of extra core courses *(can be from foreign language, philosophy, nondoctrinal religion, or any of the categories above)*
On or after August 1st, 2008:
Complete 16 core courses. They include:
- 4 years of English
- 3 years of mathematics *(algebra 1 or higher)*
- 2 years of natural or physical science *(one year must be a lab science)*
- 1 extra year of english, math, or science
- 2 years of social science
- 4 years of extra core courses *(can be from foreign language, philosophy, nondoctrinal religion, or any of the categories above)*
Division II core course requirements:
Complete 14 core courses. They include:
- 3 years of English
- 2 years of mathematics *(algebra 1 or higher)*
- 2 years of natural or physical science *(one year must be a lab science)*
- 2 extra year of english, math, or science
- 2 years of social science
- 3 years of extra core courses *(can be from foreign language, philosophy, nondoctrinal religion, or any of the categories above)*
Q: Are there any other requirements when enrolling in Division I or II?
A: Yes. Each Division however is different.
For Division I you must graduate, earn a minimum GPA in your core courses, and earn the required ACT or SAT sum score that matches the sliding scale.
For Division II you must graduate, earn a minimum of a 2.00 GPA in your core courses, and earn a combined ACT sum score of 68 or SAT sum score of 820. The sliding scale does not exist for Division II.
Q: What is the sliding scale that Division I uses?
A: That is an excellent question. It is a scale that allows for you to have lower test scores but a higher GPA and vice versa to qualify for your academic eligibility. If your GPA is very high than your ACT and SAT test scores can be relatively low and you can still be eligible. You need to make sure you fall within this scale provided by the NCAA. The scale is shown on the righthand side of this page.
Q: What is the sum score that is mentioned when determining my ACT or SAT scores?
A: You are allowed to take both tests more than once. The NCAA will let you take the best scores from each test and combine them to make the best possible sum of scores. For example: if you took the SAT in January and got 420 math and 380 verbal than you have a total of 800. The next time you take the test in May you get a 350 Math and a 490 verbal than your score is 840. However, with the sum score formula you can combine the best scores from both tests to get a 420 math and a 490 verbal for a sum score of 910.
Q: How come there is no talk about Division III and the Eligibility Center?
A: NCAA Division III does not use the Eligibility Center. Any questions on academic requirements need to be directed to that college institution.
