SETTING A COURSE TO PARTICIPATE IN INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS

RICK CHRISTENSEN DUQUESNE UNIVERSITY

TOPICS TO DISCUSS

•NCAA DIVISIONS •STARTING OUT
•RECRUITING PROCESS FACTS

•NCAA ELIGIBILITY CENTER PROCESS & INITIAL ELIGIBILITY

Estimated Probability of Competing inAthletics Beyond the High School Interscholastic Level

NCAA DIVISIONS DIVISION I
— 346 INSTITUTIONS(EXAMPLES: PITT,DUQUESNE,RMU,WVU)

— MUSTSPONSORATLEAST7SPORTSFORMEN&7SPORTSFORWOMEN,OR6FORMEN&8FORWOMEN, WITH2TEAMSPORTSFOREACHGENDER

— MUSTSCHEDULEDIVISIONISCHOOLSTOCOMPETEAGAINSTTOMEETCERTAINCRITERIA

— MUSTMEETMINIMUM FINANCIALAIDAWARDSFORATHLETICPROGRAM

— ARGUABLY A MORE COMPETITIVE LEVELOFINTERCOLLEGIATE COMPETITION

DIVISION II

— 300 INSTITUTIONS(EXAMPLES: SLIPPERYROCK,CAL PA,IUP,EDINBORO)

— MUSTSPONSORATLEAST4SPORTSFORMEN&4FORWOMEN,2TEAM SPORTSFOREACHGENDER

— ONLYSCHEDULING REQUIREMENTFORFOOTBALLANDMEN’S&WOMEN’SBASKETBALL — CAN OFFER ATHLETICALLY-RELATED FINANCIALAID

— MOREREGIONALCOMPETITIONBETWEENSCHOOLS

DIVISION III

— 450 INSTITUTIONS(EXAMPLES: CMU,LAROCHE,WAYNESBURG,W&J)

— MUSTSPONSORATLEAST5SPORTSFORMEN&5FORWOMEN,WITH2TEAM SPORTSFOREACH GENDER
— NOATHLETICALLY-RELATED FINANCIALAID ISOFFERED TOANYDIVISION IIISTUDENT-ATHLETE

NAIA (EXAMPLES: CARLOW,POINTPARK)

NJCAA (EXAMPLES: CCAC,BUTLERCOUNTYC.C.,WESTMORELANDCOUNTYC.C.)

GETTING THE FACTS: UNDERSTANDING THE RECRUITING PROCESS

PROSPECTIVE STUDENT-ATHLETE (I.E., RECRUIT OR PROSPECT)

GRADE - -A FRESHMAN IN HIGH SCHOOL.
— DEFINED ASAN INDIVIDUALTHAT HAS STARTED CLASSES IN THE 9TH

— “RECRUITED” PROSPECTSARE INDIVIDUALS THATARE CONTACTED BY COLLEGE COACHES (EITHER BYTELEPHONE OR IN-PERSON)
CAMPUS,AND/OR AWRITTEN ATHLETIC SCHOLARSHIP OFFER.
AND/ORARE PROVIDED WITHAN EXPENSE-PAID VISITTOACOLLEGE

COLLEGECOACHES’RECRUITINGTIMELINE
— FRESHMAN & SOPHOMORE YEARS – NOT MUCH DIRECT INTERACTION OUTSIDE OF WRITTEN COMMUNICATION.

BE SENTTO RECRUITS, TELEPHONE CALLS CAN BE INITIATEDAND
— JUNIOR & SENIORYEARS – SPECIFIC RECRUITING MATERIALS CAN

EXPENSE PAID CAMPUS VISITS CAN BE PROVIDED. — UNOFFICIALvs. OFFICIALCAMPUS VISITS
— RECRUITING “DEAD PERIODS”

— SCHOLARSHIP OFFERS – VERBALvs. WRITTEN

INITIAL-ELIGIBILITY AND THE
NCAA ELIGIBILITY CENTER PROCESS

THE BASICS

—In order for a student in their first year of collegiate enrollment to practice, compete and receive athletically related financial aid (i.e., athletic scholarship) at a Division I and/or II institution they must:

◦ Be registered with the NCAAEligibility Center

◦ Have Test Scores/Transcripts on file at NCAA Eligibility Center

◦ Receive a “Final Qualifier” Certification Status for Academic andAmateurism purposes.

Registering with the NCAA Eligibility Center

—Any student who will attend a NCAA Division I or II institution and wishes to participate in intercollegiate athletics must register at www.eligibilitycenter.org

—Application fee: $75. (Fee waivers accepted from Guidance Counselors).
—Online Registration Only.

WHAT IS A FINAL “QUALIFIER”?

—A final qualifier is an incoming student-athlete for whom the NCAAEligibility Center has certified as meeting all Division I or II initial-eligibility requirements.

—A final qualifier is eligible for financial aid, practice and four seasons of competition.
—A final qualifier:

◦ Has passed the required amount of core courses in the required areas (each school has their own list of approved core courses).

◦ Meets Division I or II “Sliding Scale.” ◦ Has graduated from high school.

◦ Is certified as an amateur athlete.

High School Transcripts and Standardized Test Scores

—Core Course GPAwill be determined using the official transcript sent by the High

School directly to Center. No other accepted.

the NCAAEligibility type of transcript is

—SAT score is highest combination of Critical Reading and Math Sections.

—ACT score is highest combination of English, Math, Reading and Science subsections.

Important!
Test Scores Submission

—Test Scores must be sent directly to the Eligibility Center via the TestingAgency.
—Code for NCAAfor both SAT andACT: 9999.

—May be requested upon be sent after results are appropriate website.

registration or may posted via the

—Test scores submitted by the high school on an official transcript will not be accepted.

Recap – Division I

—Final Qualifier in Division I:
◦ Has 16 core courses in designated areas

◦ Core Course GPAcorresponds with minimum test score requirement on sliding scale

◦ Has graduated from High School

—Any student not meeting any of these requirements is a final Non-Qualifier.

◦ May not receive aid, practice and/or compete in first year. Has 3-4 seasons of competition.
◦ Some Division I athletic conferences do not permit non-qualifiers to participate.

◦ No Partial Qualifier.

Division II Initial Eligibility Requirements

GPAin 16 core cou ses as designated and 820
athletics aid in freshman year.
—Qualifier: Graduates and earns a minimum of 2.0 SAT(68ACT). Mayr practice, compete and receive

freshman year, may receive athle ics aid and
has 4 seasons of eligibility.
—Partial Qualifier: Graduates and meets either the GPArequirement or the test scoretrequirement. In practice only on campus, but may not compete; still

Non-qualifier:Any prospect who is neither a
has 4 seasons of eligibility.
—Qualifier nor a Partial Qualifier. No practice, competition or athletics aid in freshman year; still

**NEW NCAA DIVISION I REQUIREMENTS FOR CLASS OF 2016**

—PSAs must earn 16 core courses.

◦ 10 of them must be completed prior to their 7th semester (prior to senior year in HS).

◦ Those 10 courses are “locked in” and can’t be retaken to improve the core course GPA.

◦ 7 of those 10 must be a combination of English, math or natural or physical science.

—If the student doesn’t earn 10 courses before their 7th semester, they are still eligible to practice and can receive a scholarship, but can’t compete in 1st year of college (“Academic Redshirt”).

**NEW NCAA DIVISION I REQUIREMENTS FOR CLASS OF 2016**

—BeginningAugust 1, 2016, students must earn at least a 2.30 GPAin NCAAcore courses to be eligible to compete in their first year of college.

—To at least get a scholarship and practice during their first year, they must earn at least a 2.00 GPA in NCAAcore courses.
—Only courses that appear on the high school’s list of NCAAcourses will be used to calculate a GPAfor NCAAeligibility purposes.

—2point3.ncaa.org

Amateurism Certification

to participate in intercollegiate athletics
—All prospective and enrolled student-athletes must meet the NCAA’s definition of an amateur in order

A student-athlete is not be eligible for
representation, and/or is in any way
◦ participation in an intercollegiate sport if the individual takes or has taken pay, has agent

compensated for their athletic ability.

for additional information.
—Upon registration, prospects will be asked a series of questions—certain answers may trigger requests

“Eight Semester” Rule

A prospective student-athlete must complete his or her core-curriculum requirements no later than the high school graduation date of the prospective student-athlete's class as determined by the first year of enrollment in high school (ninth grade).

“Eight Semester” Rule

—A Student must:
◦ Satisfy 16 core course requirement;
times until intial enrollment in a collegiate
◦ Meet SlidingiScale (test may be retaken multiple institution);
Not exceed the standard graduation date of their
are not met within this time frame, they will not be
◦ incoming class (i.e., 4 years). If the requirements

school.
able to complete them during a “fifth” year of high

may use up to one additional core course taken up
—*Exception*: Aprospect who graduates “on time”

eligibilty requirements (e.g., core course GPA,
to onei year after graduation to satisfy NCAA initial-number of core courses).

5 HELPFUL REMINDERS

1.	Can send up to four SAT scores out for FREE - - NCAA’s four-digit code is 9999.

Students must register with the NCAAElgibility Center in
year of high school…and to receive a written athle ic
2.	order to take an “official (recruiting) visit”iduring your senior scholarship offer in the form of a National Letter oftIntent.

each high school separately. Official transcripts can only
3.	If the student attends multiple high school, they must have official transcripts sent to the NCAAEligibility Center frombe sent to the NCAAEligibility Center directly from the high school.

Center provides access to this onApril 1 of every year.
4.	Complete theAmateurism Certification process prior to the end of your Senior Year in high school. The NCAAEligibility
st

counselor throughout the process for updates on your
5.	Consult with and seek the assistance of your guidance

eligibility status, core course planning, fee waivers, submission of information, etc.

NCAA ELIGIBILITY CENTER’S WEBSITE

—www.eligibilitycenter.org

Questions??

RICK CHRISTENSEN DUQUESNE UNIVERSITY

EMAIL - CHRISTENSEN@DUQ.EDU