How to Ascertain Your NCAA Eligibility
Play Division I Sports
Register with the NCAA Eligibility Center to attain initial-eligibility standards if you want to compete in a Division I school. Feel free to call 1-877-262-1492 or 317-917-6222 (if you’re an international student) if there’s any eligibility question you want to ask.
NCAA Eligibility Center Address
Transcript/Document Mailing Address
NCAA Eligibility Center
Certification Processing
P.O. Box 7136
Indianapolis, IN 46207
Overnight/Express Mailing Address
NCAA Eligibility Center
Certification Processing
1802 Alonzo Watford Sr. Drive
Indianapolis, IN 46202
Best Overnight Express Mailing Services
UPS vs. FedEx Services vs. USPS
If you are interested in overnight delivery, the three best services are
- USPS – Cheapest option
- United Parcel Service (UPS)
- Federal Express (FedEx) – Most expensive option
USPS is the guaranteed mailing overnight service, is called Priority Mail Express or Express. Regular Priority Mail is not guaranteed. Priority Mail Express delivers mail seven days a week and is guaranteed.
UPS guaranteed overnight service is UPS Next Day Air. UPS Next Day Air Early is great if you desire the package delivered before 9:30 a.m. or 8 a.m. in some areas. If your package or document does not need to be there until 3 p.m. or 4:30 p.m., you can choose UPS Next Day Air Saver.
FedEx guaranteed overnight service is FedEx Overnight. FedEx First Overnight is perfect for deliveries the next morning. FedEx Priority Overnight delivers by 10:30 a.m. or late afternoon in outer areas. FedEx Standard Overnight for delivery by 3 p.m. or 4:30 p.m. for rural areas and 8 p.m. in residences.
Cost of Sending Academic Information To NCAA Eligibility Center
USPS is great because they have flat rate envelope that starts under $27. It ships any distance and any weight for the reasonable quote price. UPS Next Day Air for packages of half-pound UPS letter starts at $35.29.
FedEx Standard overnight in a half-pound FedEx Envelope beings at $32.03 by 3 p.m. FedEx First Overnight, delivered by 9:30 a.m. beings at $65.56!
NCAA Eligibility Center Customer Service Hours
8:30 am to 5 pm est.
Monday – Friday
Fax number: 317-968-5100
Toll-free Telephone number (United States callers and Canada except for Quebec): 877-262-1492
Grade 9
Talk to your counselor if you want to take the right classes.
Grade 10
Register with NCAA Eligibility Center and liaise with your counselor on the NCAA core-courses to sit. Use code 9999 to submit your scores on the ACT or SAT to the NCAA. Tell your counsel to get your official transcript uploaded to the NCAA Eligibility Center at the end of the year.
Grade 12
Take the ACT or SAT once you’re done with your NCAA core-courses, and submit your scores with the 9999 code. Answer all questions in your account on the NCAA Eligibility Center, but remember to tell your counselor to upload your transcript.
Division I academic eligibility
High school graduates that meet the requirements below will be eligible for NCAA sports.
- Complete 16 core courses
- Four years of English
- Three years of math
- Two years of natural/physical science
- One more year of English, math or natural/physical science
- Two years of social science
- At least 2.3 GPA in NCAA core-courses
- SAT and ACT scores to match core-course GPA on Division I scale
You may not be allowed to compete in the first year if you do not meet these requirements. But academic redshirt students-athletes can practice in the first year and may even get athletics scholarship for the whole year.
Amateurism
The level playing ground is created for all student-athletes since the NCAA promotes amateurism. Those who compete in college sports are students before they turn athletes.
The NCAA Eligibility Center, being an arm of the NCAA, determines academic eligibility and amateurism status of DI and DII student-athletes. Initially, it was called NCAA Clearinghouse but now the NCAA Eligibility Center. NCAA is there to assess the eligibility of would-be student-athletes
NCAA Certification or Profile Page
The right NCAA account for you will be determined by the level you’re competing at. Student-athletes on NCAA DI or DII would be competing out of high school level, and they’ll need to register with NCAA and open a Certification Account. Create an NCAA Profile page so that you can quickly know the account type you’ll need.
Purpose of the NCAA Eligibility Center
NCAA Eligibility Center ensures that would-be student-athletes meet the academic requirements to compete in NCAA sports.
How to register in the NCAA Eligibility Center
The website of the NCAA Eligibility Center is user-friendly and to can complete your registration between 15 and 30 minutes. A valid email address is necessary if you want to create a Certification Account. Also, you’ll need a payment method for the account. Official copies of your academic high school transcripts and copies of your SAT or ACT scores should also be sent to the NCAA.
How to get NCAA number
Create a Certification Account or Profile page on the NCAA Eligibility Center website to be assigned your own NCAA number.
NCAA Eligibility requirements
- Academic Requirements: Complete 16 core courses. Minimum 2.3 GPA for DI or 2.2 for D II in core-courses.
- Amateurism Requirements: Amateurism is not open to athletes that got compensation, which is more than necessary expenses.
How Long Is The NCAA Eligibility Center Process?
Official NCAA Eligibility Center process cannot be complete until you’re declared eligible by your DI or DII institution. The process has three phases.
- Creating a Certification Account: Do this as a freshman or sophomore in high school.
- Having up-to-date transcripts after your junior year: DI athletes are required to do ten core-courses before the final semester in high school. Seven out of these courses should be English, math, and natural or physical science.
- Sending in final academic transcripts and requesting final amateurism certification: Final transcripts should be sent once you’re done with high school.
NCAA amateurism rules
It’s hard to interpret NCAA rules on amateurism, but over 95 percent of recruits won’t have issues with NCAA requirements. Here are a few eligibility things to consider.
- Receiving any type of monetary compensation that exceeds actual and necessary expenses: Amateur athletes are not allowed to receive compensation whose amount is above real and significant costs.
- Receiving compensation for media appearances based on athlete’s ability or fame: Athletes may not be paid appearance fees and may not benefit from advertising dollars.
- Endorsing commercial products or services: Athletes may not be allowed to wear a brand or be paid to promote any.
Questions on the Legality of Issues
The NCAA does not guide student-athletes on what is permissible or not. Each athlete should seek to advise where they deem fit.
What does ‘preliminary certified’ mean?
This status makes you a cleared amateur athlete a no further review will be required.
What is the amateurism questionnaire?
These questions form part of the NCAA amateurism questionnaire.
- Education Background: Show date of attendance, name, country, and cost, although U.S. high schools are free, and your graduation date.
- Athletic Participation: List each time you’ve played for. The team name, league affiliation, dates of participation, and a number of contests played.
- Whether you received money above actual expenses, but most athletes say no.
- Did any of your team members get money above their expenses? Most athletes say no.
- Did you sign an agreement to feature for any team? List your arrangements, if any.
- Did any of the sports teams refer to themselves professional? State whether you have played for a team that competes in the upper ranks.
- Have you entered into a written or verbal agreement with an agent? Be mindful of the type of transaction you’re signing. Seek advice from NCAA experts before you sign any contract.
- Have you or your family got money from any agent or agency? Do away from this because it is a clear violation of the NCAA rules.
- Have you ever been used, related or involved in an advertisement or promotion? It’s hard to interpret this rule, but you can consult an NCAA expert to get a clear interpretation.
The following questions are specific, and they deal directly with the athlete recruiting process:
- How did you gain knowledge or learn about the school(s) recruiting you? Pick email, text, call, or the option that you think is correct.
- Who initially contacted you and encouraged you to attend this university? It’s illegal to be persuaded by boosters to participate in a school. Some athletes say they were influenced by their college coach, family but are free to choose the option you want.
- Please list all official visits taken: List out the official visits you’ve made, if any.
Amateurism certification status definitions
- Final certified: This status shows that, based on the NCAA final decision, your eligibility is pending by an academic review.
- Final certified with conditions: Certain requirements have to be met before you can be eligible to compete. Athletes with rules violations tend to go through this.
- Final not certified: This status means that you’re not eligible to compete on the NCAA level or receive its scholarship.
- Incomplete web entry: This means that you have not completed your questionnaire, and the NCAA could not determine your status.
- Not applicable: You can’t have your amateurism reviewed when you’re competing at the DIII level.
- Pending review: Perhaps, something in your questionnaire raised a few questions, and the amateurism committee is currently considering these issues.
- Preliminary certified: You’ll see this status if you haven’t requested your final amateurism certification after your account has been cleared.
- Certain tasks must be completed before you can be deemed eligible.
- Preliminary not certified: You won’t be eligible.
- Suspended review: This is the status you’ll get when your school drops you as a recruit during the process of being reviewed by the NCAA. You’ll have to contact your coach or the school to address the issue.
Role of Boosters
Boosters provide student-athletes necessary experience via their enthusiastic efforts. They tend to support teams and athletics departments with financial resources and time.
Boosters, known to NCAA as “representatives of the institution’s athletic interests,” include anyone who:
- provides a donation to get season tickets for sports in any university.
- Is a member of an organization that promotes athletics in universities.
- Make financial contributions to boost the functionality of the athletics department of a university.
- Arranges for or employs enrolled student-athletes.
- Tries to promote university athletics.
One a person attains the name “representative of the institution’s athletics interests,” the identity remains with the person forever.
Apart from institutional staff members, nobody is allowed to recruit would-be student-athletes. Based on NCAA rules, no one is allowed to contact would-be student-athletes or their guardians.
While boosters may have established friendships with families of would-be student-athletes, they cannot encourage them to opt for a particular university.
What is institutional control?
A fundamental requirement of NCAA legislation is the institutional control, but the NCAA constitution points out the universities must:
- Control their intercollegiate athletic programs in line with the NCAA rules and regulations.
- Monitor their programs and ensure compliance.
- Make reports to the NCAA and take corrective actions where necessary.
Are there any rules for student-athletes enrolled by boosters?
Student-athletes can be compensated for work performed but at a commensurate rate. Remuneration may not be part of the compensation that the student-athletes will get from their employers.
What are the core courses?
Classes in English, math, physical or natural science, foreign language, social science, philosophy, or comparative religion may be approved as NCAA core courses.
Some of the classes are:
- English: English 1-4, American Literature, creative writing
- Math: Algebra 1-3, Geometry, statistics
- Physical science like biology, chemistry, physics
- Social science like American History, civics, government
Credit
Credit may be earned on a core-course but once. Credits earned from core courses go into tour core-course GPA. You’ll get the same credits from the NCAA core-course, and .5 credit goes for a core-course every academic semester. No award will be given to a core-course that is more than one year.
Divisional I Additional Core-Course
After you’ve graduated from high school, you’ll have to do one more core-course in a Division I school. But you’re expected to have graduated in 8 semesters before you could join ninth grade. You have to do the core-course in one year before you’re enrolled in the college.
You can opt for the course in another school so far the school is approved for NCAA core courses. You’ll have to present the course grade and credit to the NCAA Eligibility Center and an official transcript from the school.
Learn more about the recruiting process