What is NCAA?
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a membership-driven organization dedicated to safeguarding the well-being of student-athletes and equipping them with the skills to succeed on the playing field, in the classroom and throughout life. NCAA oversees
three divisions (DI/DII/DIII), 24 sports, and nearly half a million college athletes.
They support learning through sports by integrating athletics and higher education to enrich the college experience of student-athletes. NCAA members – 1098 college/universities and 102 athletic conferences – work together to create the framework of rules for fair and safe competition.
Those rules are administered by NCAA national office staff, which also organizes national championships and provides other resources to support student-athletes and the schools they attend. The NCAA membership and national office work together to help more than 460,000 student-athletes develop their leadership, confidence, discipline and teamwork through college sports.
If I want to play sports in college, what are my next steps?
1. Make sure that you meet academic eligibility requirements.
Incoming student-athletes in Divisions I and II are subject to academic initial-eligibility standards, which take into account SAT/ACT test scores, number of core courses taken in high school (
must take 16 NCAA core courses) and the grades earned in those core courses. Click
here for more information about these academic requirements. In addition to NCAA requirements, they also must also meet the unique acceptance requirements of the university they plan to attend (those requirements may exceed NCAA standards).
Register with the NCAA Eligibility Center.
2. If you are being actively recruited by a Division I or II school, you need to register for a Certification Account with the
NCAA Eligibility Center. A Certification Account costs $90. Once registered, NCAA will review your academic record (transcript), SAT/ACT scores, and amateur status to ensure conformity with NCAA rules.
If you are being recruited by a Division III school or are uncertain about which division you will be recruited by, create a free Profile Page and transition to a $90 Certification Account if you decide to play Division I or II sports.
3. Send your SAT/ACT scores to NCAA.
Send your SAT scores from
this link or your ACT scores from
this link directly to NCAA. Think of NCAA as another college you are applying to. Anytime you send scores to colleges, make sure to include NCAA. When sending scores, you can just search NCAA or use the SAT shortcut code 9999.
4. If you want to get recruited, start contacting colleges/college coaches.
Work with your Clovis High or travel ball coach to contact college coaches and fill out online recruiting questionnaires through college websites in order to get your name on the radar of various college teams. College coaches are limited by
recruiting calendars in how much they can contact you, but you can always send emails, highlight reels, etc. to coaches.
Getting recruited will take effort on your part. Don’t wait for coaches to come find you. Reach out to them first!