NCAA Eligibility Center

By Greg Dana

The establishment of the NCAA Eligibility Center in Indianapolis was first announced in January 2007 by Dr. Myles Brand, president of the NCAA. Replacing the current NCAA Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse in Iowa City, Iowa, the eligibility center will certify the academic and amateur credentials of all college-bound student-athletes who wish to compete in NCAA Division I or II athletics.

The eligibility center staff is eager to foster a new and more cooperative environment of education and partnership with the high schools and with high school student-athletes. NCAA regulations are set by NCAA colleges and universities and require all incoming student-athletes to meet a prescribed level of academic performance while maintaining their amateur status before entering college. The eligibility center will collect data from high schools, sport-sanctioning bodies and, most importantly, high school student-athletes in order to make eligibility decisions. Ultimately, the individual student-athlete is responsible for achieving and protecting his or her eligibility status.

The first element of this initiative will be education about NCAA initial-eligibility requirements. NCAA regulations are numerous and are constantly updated as the worlds of amateur and intercollegiate athletics change. High school student-athletes need a resource that will aid them, their coaches, counselors and parents as they navigate NCAA regulations. To increase the chances of being properly prepared, these student-athletes and their advisors should start thinking about NCAA eligibility long before their senior year. The eligibility center will work to assist the student-athletes with academic planning, which often is more important than athletics planning for a high school student-athlete.

The second element of this initiative will be partnership. The eligibility center will work with the high schools to help their student-athletes achieve NCAA certification. No high school student-athlete can be certified until the eligibility center has all the information regarding the student's high school curriculum and sports-participation history. Most important is the establishment and maintenance of the high school's list of approved core courses. For NCAA eligibility, core courses are those courses that:

1. Qualify for high school graduation in one or more of the following: English, mathematics, natural or physical science, social science, foreign language or nondoctrinal religion or philosophy;

2. Are considered four-year college preparatory;

3. Are taught at or above the high school's regular academic level;

4. For mathematics courses, are at the level of Algebra I or a higher-level mathematics course; and

5. Are taught by a qualified instructor as defined by the appropriate academic authority.

As high school curricula change, it is reasonable to expect the high school's list of approved core courses to also change. It is most helpful to the student-athletes when high schools update their core-course lists at the start of every semester or quarter. The eligibility center will assist high schools with this process and will send reminders to the high schools to update their core-course lists. By working together to compile and evaluate the academic and amateur records of these student-athletes, the eligibility center will provide the best service possible to the student-athletes.

Important Things to Remember for This Year's High School Seniors

Increase to 16 Core Courses for Division I:

For Division I, all student-athletes graduating from high school in the 2007-08 academic year and beyond, must present 16 core courses in order to be considered eligible. The breakdown of these required 16 core courses is as follows:

4 years -- English;
3 years -- mathematics (at the level of Algebra I or higher);
2 years -- natural or physical science [including at least one (1) laboratory course if offered by the high school];
1 year -- additional course in English, mathematics or natural or physical science;
2 years -- social science; and
4 years -- additional academic courses (in any of the areas above or foreign language, philosophy or nondoctrinal religion).

Fourteen (14) Core Courses Required for Division II:
3 years -- English;
2 years -- mathematics;
2 years -- natural or physical science;
2 years -- additional courses in English, mathematics or natural or physical science; and
3 years -- additional academic courses.

* Note: Division III initial-eligibility requirements are certified by the respective member institution.

Requirement to Graduate High School in Four Years:

This year's high school seniors will need to make every effort to graduate on time with their class. High school student-athletes have eight semesters from the time they enter the ninth grade to graduate and meet NCAA initial-eligibility requirements. The NCAA will only accept one core course taken after the student-athlete's class graduates. As this year's seniors register for their final semester, their coaches, counselors and advisors can help by making sure they are on pace to graduate on time with their class and meet the NCAA core-course requirements.

Amateurism Questionnaires for All College-Bound Student-Athletes:

Equally important in the initial-eligibility process is the certification of each student-athlete's amateur status. This year's junior and senior student-athletes should currently be registered with the eligibility center. High school student-athletes take the first step toward creating opportunities for themselves by registering early and completing the amateurism questionnaire immediately. This information helps colleges and universities understand the full extent of the high school student-athlete's experience and also helps facilitate a smooth final certification process after graduation.

For more information, please refer to www.ncaaclearinghouse.net or the 2007-08 Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete.