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Lenape Regional High School District

NCAA Eligibility Center

The links on the left and information below pertain to the new standards adopted by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) for initial-eligibility. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a voluntary organization through which the nation's colleges and universities govern their athletic programs. The following information pertains to prospective college student-athletes.

College-bound student-athletes who want to compete at a NCAA Division I or II school need to meet certain division-wide academic and amateurism standards. Students who plan to attend a Division III school need to meet the admission standards of the school they plan to attend.

Division I Initial Eligibility

Division I schools require students to meet academic standards for NCAA-approved core courses, core course GPA and test scores. To be eligible to practice, compete and receive athletics scholarships in their first full-time year at a Division I school, students must graduate from high school and meet ALL of the following requirements:

A Full Qualifier is a college-bound student-athlete who may receive athletics aid (scholarship), practice and compete in the first year of enrollment at a Division I college or university. They must have a minimum 2.3 GPA.

A Full Qualifier must:

  1. Complete a total of 16 core courses in the following areas:
    • 4 in English
    • 3 years of Math (Algebra 1 or higher)
    • 2 years of Natural/Physical Science (including 1 year of lab)
    • 1 additional year of Math, English, or Natural/Physical Science
    • 2 years of Social Science
    • 4 years of additional courses (e.g. World Language or any area previously mentioned)

 

  1. Complete 10 out of their 16 core courses, including seven in English, math or natural/physical science, before the start of the seventh semester. Once a student begins their seventh semester, they must have more than 10 core courses completed to be able to repeat or replace any of the 10 courses used to meet the 10/7 requirement. 
     
  2. Complete the 16 NCAA-approved core courses in eight academic semesters or four consecutive academic years from the start of ninth grade. If students graduate from high school early, they still must meet core-course requirements.
     
  3. Earn an SAT combined score or ACT sum score that matches their core-course GPA (minimum 2.300) on the Division I qualifier sliding scale.
     

Qualifier - Students may practice, compete and receive an athletics scholarship during their first year of enrollment at an NCAA Division I school.

Academic Redshirt  Students may receive an athletics scholarship during their first year of enrollment and may practice during their first regular academic term, but may NOT compete during their first year of enrollment. Students must pass either eight quarter or nine semester hours to practice in the next term.

To qualify as an academic redshirt, a student must graduate high school and meet ALL the following academic standards: 

  1. Complete 16 core courses.
     
  2. Earn an SAT combined score or ACT sum score matching the core-course GPA (minimum 2.000) on the Division I sliding scale.

Nonqualifer - Students will not be able to practice, receive an athletics scholarship or compete during their first year of enrollment at a Division I school.

 

Visit the NCAA website or contact your child's school counselor for more information.