We know that the recruitment process can be stressful and intimidating; therefore, we want to make sure that our student-athletes and their families are educated regarding the recruitment process so that the transition into collegiate sports is as seamless as possible.
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is the governing body that oversees college level student-athletes (approximately 400,000) at more than 1,000 colleges and universities. The NCAA is made up of three membership classifications known as Divisions I, II and III, and each division creates its own rules governing personnel, amateurism, recruiting, eligibility, benefits, financial aid and playing/practice seasons. Only Division I and II schools are allowed to give athletic scholarships to students.
A student athlete’s desire to play collegiate sports must begin in the classroom. To be eligible to play as a Division I athlete, a student must graduate from high school completing 16 specific core courses, maintain a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 and achieve correlated ACT or SAT scores. In other words, a student with a low GPA will need a strong standardized test score. GPAs and their required standardized test scores can be found online at www.ncaa.org.
Students who wish to play sports at a Division II school must also graduate from high school and must complete 14 specified core courses and maintain a 2.0 GPA. Division III schools do not have legitimate academic requirements under NCAA guidelines.
The LHSAA recommends that high school student-athletes register online with the NCAA at www.eligibilitycenter.org at the beginning of their junior year. Here, students can create online profiles containing information about their academic and athletic history that will be made available to recruiting coaches.
Once the profile has been created, students and college coaches may begin communicating via writing.
Student-athletes and their parents should be aware that the NCAA enforces strict recruiting policies. Some recruitment practices explain when it is okay for coaches and recruits to have contact either in person or by telephone or e-mail. Also, they may explain when an athlete may make his or her official visit to a campus and where there is to be no contact between any collegiate representative and a recruit or his or her families.
For more information about the college recruitment process, visit our website at www.LHSAA.org or visit the NCAA’s website at www.NCAA.org.
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