Navigating the NCAA Eligibility Center is a crucial part of the college recruiting process. Typically, it’s also the most stressful for athletes and their families because the NCAA takes it very seriously and it plays a huge role in becoming a college athlete.
We’ve decided to break down the NCAA Eligibility Center’s significance and hopefully make the process a little better for you!
What is the NCAA Eligibility Center?
The NCAA Eligibility Center, formerly known as the Clearing House, is where the NCAA determines if a student-athlete is eligible to play at any of the three NCAA divisions. They decide this by checking to make sure you are academically qualified and have amateurism status.
Since there’s such a big difference between all three divisions, the NCAA Eligibility Center offers two options for student-athletes to register. These options are a certification account and a profile page.
Choosing Between the Certification Account and a Profile Page
Deciding on the Certification Account or the Profile Page can feel overwhelming but don’t worry, it’s relatively self-explanatory.
Certification Account: This account is for student-athletes who want to compete at an NCAA Division I or II school. Also, to make an official visit(s) or sign a National Letter of Intent (to a DI or II college), you must be registered with a Certification Account.
Profile Page: The Profile Page is for student-athletes who want to compete at the NCAA Division III level.
The decision to choose between a Certification Account and Profile Page comes down to you and what you want. Consider what type of NCAA programs are recruiting you and what colleges or universities you would want to attend. If you decide to create a Profile Page and then start talking with Division I or II coaches, you can switch to a Certification Account. If you do choose the Certification Account, you must have a valid form of payment before you register your account. Once you’ve made your decision, you can then move through the eligibility process.
Insider tip: Prospective DIII student-athletes don’t need a Certification Account. As a result, you can create a Profile Page and transition to a Certification Account later if you decide to go the DI or II route.
If you’re still not sure if you should create a Profile page or a Certification Account, then talk with one of our scouts today!
How to Register with the NCAA Eligibility Center
Once you’ve decided between a Certification Account and a Profile Page, it’s time to register.
First, make sure you have everything you need to register. You’ll need a few more things to create a Certification Account than a Profile Page.
- Email address (Profile Page and Certification Account)
- Personal Information (Certification Account Only)
- High School History (Certification Account Only)
- Sports Participation History (Certification Account Only)
- Valid Form of Payment (Certification Account Only)
It’s crucial that you choose an email address you’ll have access to after high school.
Once you’ve signed up, the Eligibility Center will send you a verification email. You must log in to your email and verify the account. This email will also include your NCAA ID.
After the verification process, your Profile Page is complete. But for those creating a Certification Account, you’re just getting started.
Insider tip: Creating a Certification Account will take about 30 – 45 minutes. You can save and exit at any time. However, give yourself enough time to complete your registration in one sitting.
The next process is filling out your personal and contact information, along with your academic and athletic history. Your personal and contact information won’t take long. Just make sure all the information is correct!
The last two sections will ask questions about your academic and athletic history. Include information from every high school you attended and every sports team you played on. It’s imperative that you answer every question truthfully to ensure your eligibility.
Once everything is filled out, you will be prompted to pay for the Certification Account. The fee is $90 unless you are an international student, then the price is $150.
Insider Tip: You only have 30 days to pay for the Certification Account, once you’ve registered.
NCAA Eligibility Requirements
The NCAA Eligibility Center requirements can be broken up into two sections: academic, and amateurism.
To be academically eligible to play DI level you will need to meet these requirements:
- Graduate
- Pass 16 core courses.
- Pass 10 core courses by your junior year of high school.
- 7 of the 10 classes need to be in English, Math or Science.
- Have a minimum of a 2.3 GPA with a 980 SAT or 75 ACT sum score.
To be academically eligible to play the Division II level you will need to meet these requirements:
- Graduate
- Pass 16 core courses.
- Have a minimum 920 SAT 70 & Above ACT sum
Insider Tip: Use the NCAA’s DI and DII sliding scale to determine what GPA, ACT or SAT score you need to be eligible.
Click here for an in-depth breakdown of the NCAA’s GPA requirements.
The next step is to meet amateurism status. There’s a lot of NCAA rules around an athlete’s amateurism status. Some of them aren’t the most direct or are flat out confusing. But below you will find a couple of the big ones.
- Having a contract with professional teams.
- Earning money for participating in athletics.
- Making money or compensation for media appearances based on your athletic ability.
- Accepting prize money or prices that exceed your cost of competing or necessary expenses.
We encourage you to visit the NCAA’s website for more of the NCAA’s amateurism rules and requirements.
You’re all Registered, Now What?
For athletes that created a profile page, it’s straightforward. You can use your NCAA ID as one of your recruiting tools. For example, when you send emails to college coaches with your NSR profile, you can add your NCAA ID too! That way they know you’ve taken steps to become eligible.
After you have a Certification Account, ask your guidance counselor to upload any transcripts.
Send your ACT and SAT scores to the NCAA using code #9999. Ask your counselor to send your official transcripts to the NCAA. Also, ask the institution(s) recruiting you to request your academic eligibility so the NCAA will start that process ASAP.
Insider Tip: Send your transcripts sometime after your junior year of high school so the NCAA can confirm you’re academically eligible, or on track to become eligible.
Additionally, once you graduate high school, ask your counselor to send your final official transcript with proof of graduation to the NCAA.
All of this needs to be done so you can get your amateurism status! Make sure all of your information is updated and correct. Once you request your final amateurism status, you won’t be able to make any changes.
When can you request amateurism status?
For athletes that want to enroll in the fall, you can submit your information as early as April 1st. However, athletes enrolling in the spring or winter can start the submission process on October 1st.
Even though the NCAA Eligibility Center seems like a painful process, it doesn’t have to be! Follow the information in this article and the process will go smoothly.
If you have any other questions about the NCAA Eligibility Center, contact us today!
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