Initial Eligibility: NCAA and NAIA Amy Dames Smith Assistant Athletics Director Concordia University- Portland (NCAA D-II)

Session Overview Overview of the NAIA and NCAA NCAA Eligibility Center Timeline Initial Eligibility Requirements NAIA NCAA D-III NCAA D-II NCAA D-I Helpful Resources and Tips

Overview of NAIA and NCAA Divisions NAIA- National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Character-driven intercollegiate athletics 255 members (Cascade Conference- Warner Pac, NW Christian, Corban, etc.) NCAA D-III Academics are the primary focus 451 members (NW Conference- Lewis & Clark, Pacific U., Linfield, etc.) NCAA D-II “Life in the Balance” 318 members (GNAC- WOU, SPU, Concordia, etc.) NCAA D-I Larger student population and larger athletics budgets 346 members (WCC and Pac12- U of Portland, Gonzaga, OSU, U of O, etc.)

NAIA Initial Eligibility Incoming college freshmen must meet 2 out of 3 requirements: 2.0 cumulative GPA Finish in the top half of the student’s graduating class Minimum test scores of: 18 on the ACT; or 860 on the SAT (Math and Reading only) Begin registration process at playnaia.org

NCAA Eligibility Center Timeline- Grades 9 and 10 Grade 9 Ask your counselor for a list of your high school’s NCAA core courses to make sure you take the right classes.NCAA core courses Grade 10 Register with the NCAA Eligibility Center at eligibilitycenter.org.eligibilitycenter.org

NCAA Eligibility Center Timeline- Grades 11 and 12 Grade 11 Check with your counselor to make sure you will graduate on time with the required number of NCAA core courses.NCAA core courses Take the ACT or SAT and submit your scores to the NCAA using code 9999.ACT or SAT At the end of the year, ask your counselor to upload your official transcript to the NCAA Eligibility Center.official transcript Grade 12 Finish your last NCAA core courses.NCAA core courses Take the ACT or SAT again, if necessary, and submit your scores to the NCAA using code 9999.ACT or SAT Complete all academic and amateurism questions in your NCAA Eligibility Center account at eligibilitycenter.org.amateurism eligibilitycenter.org After you graduate, ask your counselor to submit your final official transcript with proof of graduation to the NCAA Eligibility Center.official transcript

Do NOT need to register with the NCAA Eligibility Center Each school sets its own admission and eligibility standards Visit ncaa.org/d3 or visit with the school where you plan to enroll NCAA D-III (3) Initial Eligibility Requirements

NCAA D-II (2) Initial Eligibility Requirements If you enroll BEFORE August 1, 2018: 1.Earn at least a 2.0 GPA in 16 core courses; and 2.Earn an SAT combined score of 820 or an ACT sum score of 68; and 3.Graduate from High School If you enroll AFTER August 1, 2018: 1.Earn at least a 2.2 GPA in 16 core courses; and 2.Earn an SAT combined score or ACT sum score matching your core-course GPA on the Division II sliding scale; and 3.Graduate from High School

D-II (2) Eligibility Status Qualifier- Meet 3/3 criteria= immediately eligible Partial Qualifier- Meet 2/3 criteria= eligible for practice and athletic aid Nonqualifier- Not eligible for practice, athletic aid, or competition in first year of enrollment

NCAA D-I (1) Initial Eligibility Requirements Beginning August 1, 2016: 1.Earn at least a 2.3 GPA in 16 completed core courses; Complete 10 core courses, including seven in English, math or natural/physical science, before the start of your seventh semester. Once you begin your seventh semester, you may not repeat or replace any of those 10 courses for GPA improvement. 2.Earn an SAT combined score or ACT sum score matching your core- course GPA on the Division I slide scale; and 3.Graduate from High School

NCAA D-I (1) Eligibility Status Qualifier- Meet 3/3 criteria= immediately eligible Academic Redshirt- Meet criteria, but have GPA between 2.0 and 2.29 in core= eligible for practice and athletic aid Nonqualifier- Not eligible for practice, athletic aid, or competition in first year of enrollment

Summary of Core Course Requirement NCAA D-I 4 years English 3 years math (Algebra I level or higher) 2 years natural or physical science (1 lab if offered at any high school attended) 1 year additional English, math or natural/physical science 2 years social science 4 years additional from areas above or foreign language, philosophy or comparative religion. NCAA D-II 3 years of English 2 years of math (Algebra I or higher) 2 years of natural/physical science (1 year of lab if offered by high school) 3 years of additional English, math or natural/physical science 2 years of social science 4 years of additional courses (from any area above, foreign language or comparative religion/philosophy)

Courses Accepted toward Core Course Requirement- other institutions Course must be core (English, Math, Science, Social Science or additional core-100 level or higher is general rule, can't be vocational) Courses completed prior to high school graduation must be placed on a high school transcript with grade and credit For courses completed after graduation, they will award a maximum credit of 0.5 Avoid credit recovery programs

Helpful Resources NCAA Guide for the College Bound Student-Athlete NCAA Core Course Worksheet for D-I and D-II ncaa.org (Search “Eligibility”) NCAA Core course list (Google “NCAA Core Course List”) 2point3.org (D-I eligibility only) NCAA Eligibility Center playnaia.org (NAIA Eligibility Center) High School Counselors Institution’s compliance office

Practical Tips Write down your Eligibility Center password and NCAA ID # where you can find it easily Make sure transcripts and test scores get where they need to go Involve the student in the process Review classes early to ensure they are meeting core requirement; first two years are critical