Tag Archive for: NCAA Freshman Eligibility Requirements
High school athletes must satisfy the NCAA academic requirements to be certified as a Qualifier and be eligible to compete and receive an athletic scholarship in their freshman year at an NCAA Division I or Division II university.
High schools shifting to online instruction or taking other action due to COVID-19 could have a negative impact on a recruit’s opportunity to satisfy the academic requirements for Division I and Division II eligibility.
As of the date of this post, the NCAA Eligibility Center has not yet issued any official changes or adjustments to these academic requirements. However, the Eligibility Center will be conferring with NCAA Division I and II governing committees and is expected to release information on possible changes soon.
High school recruits and families should be aware that the NCAA freshman academic requirements to be certified as a Qualifier are also important if your athlete is planning to attend a two-year college before transferring to an NCAA university.
Recruits who are not certified as an NCAA Qualifier by the Eligibility Center will have more extensive academic requirements to satisfy while attending a two-year college in order to be eligible when they transfer to an NCAA university.
Do You Have Questions?
If you are concerned about the impact of online instruction on your academic eligibility, we offer confidential phone consultations. We’ll answer all your questions, discuss the possible impact on your athlete’s eligibility due to COVID-19, and suggest options for your athlete to consider. Schedule a confidential Eligibility Issues consult online here, call us at 913-766-1235 or send an email to rick@informedathlete.com.
In a recent post, we discussed the Importance of NCAA Qualifier Status for High School Athletes. If a high school athlete doesn’t meet the initial NCAA academic eligibility requirements, they are classified as a Non-Qualifier. They then have several hurdles to jump before they can be eligible at an NCAA DI or DII school.
When I worked on campus, the hardest thing I had to do was tell an athlete they were not academically eligible to play the sport they loved. The sad thing is that it is a preventable situation.
We created Informed Athlete’s Freshman Eligibility & Transcript Review service so we can help high school athletes and parents be better informed and prepared without unpleasant or costly mistakes.
With a Freshman Transcript Review Service, we will:
- Compare the courses completed with the courses approved by the NCAA Eligibility Center.
- Review your ACT or SAT test scores, and determine the GPA that will be needed for eligibility,
- Provide a written assessment of the subjects that need to be completed to satisfy initial eligibility requirements.
- Suggest steps and discuss a plan of action that may be available to satisfy eligibility requirements.
To Schedule a Freshman Transcript Review
If you are interested in this service, you can schedule a Freshman Transcript Review online, call us at 913-766-1235 or send an email to rick@informedathlete.com.
An NCAA Qualifier is a high-school athlete who has satisfied the NCAA academic requirements to be eligible as a Freshman.
If the NCAA Freshman eligibility requirements are not met, the high-school athlete is classified as anNCAA Non-Qualifier. Reasons for this frequently include:
- The high-school athlete didn’t take the NCAA required core courses.
- Low GPA, SAT or ACT test scores.
A high-school athlete who is classified as an NCAA Non-Qualifier:
- Cannot receive an athletic scholarship during their freshman year unless the requirements for “Academic Redshirt” are met.
- Will NOT be eligible to compete with the team during their freshman year.
- Will not be eligible to practice with the team or attend weight training with their team.
High-school athletes who go to a JUCO their freshman year as an NCAA Non-Qualifier:
- Will NOT be eligible to transfer to a Division I program after just one year.
- Will have more extensive academic requirements at the JUCO to be immediately eligible upon transfer to a Division I program (more required junior college courses).
If you’re unsure as to whether your high-school athlete is on track to meet the NCAA Freshman Eligibility Requirements, we can discuss your situation in a confidential consultation. Click here to schedule a confidential consultation or call our office at 913-766-1235.
We also offer NCAA Freshman Transcript Evaluations to assess if your student-athlete is on track and if not, we can provide an action plan of what they will need to do to achieve NCAA Qualifier Status.
If you are not sure you’re on track to be an NCAA Qualifier for Fall 2019, contact us for a Transcript Review and Assessment.
We will evaluate your core courses as well as your estimated core course GPA and your ACT or SAT test score to make sure you’ll satisfy the sliding scale requirement. If you’re not on track, we can help you with an action plan to become eligible or provide you with other options to consider.
The absolute hardest thing I had to do when I was a DI Compliance Director was tell a student-athlete that they weren’t academically eligible to play their sport in college. Don’t let this happen to you!
For more information, give us a call at 913-766-1235 or send an email to rick@informedathlete.com
Even though the SAT changed their test and scoring system back in 2016, the NCAA Division I Sliding Scale – which is used to determine freshman eligibility for competition, practice and athletic scholarships – has NOT been updated to reflect the new SAT scores.
This has been causing confusion for some high school athletes and parents, as well as some of the coaches and guidance counselors whom those athletes and families look to for assistance.
Call us at 913-766-1235 or send an email to rick@informedathlete.com if you have questions about NCAA eligibility requirements or would like to request an NCAA Eligibility and Transcript Review.
