Future Catamounts and family members of a future Catamount should be aware that there are many NCAA rules and regulations that affect them both before and after enrollment. Many of those rules and regulations with which they will deal with can be found in the NCAA Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete.
Initial Eligibility
To play Division I sports, prospective student-athletes need to qualify academically and as amateurs through the NCAA Eligibility Center.
Prospective student-athletes should register with the NCAA Eligibility Center at
www.eligibilitycenter.org. They will need to send in official copies of transcripts from all high schools attended, SAT and/or ACT scores, and complete an amateurism questionnaire.
Academic certification looks at an individual’s courses, grades, and test scores, to determine if the individual is academically prepared for academics at the college level. (
Note: NCAA academic clearance does not guarantee University admissions approval.)
Amateurism certification looks at whether the individual truly meets the definition of an amateur, and that the individual has not been part of a professional team or received expenses in excess of what is permissible.
Initial Academic Eligibility Requirements
The NCAA looks at an individual’s high school record to ensure they are academically prepared for the rigors of academics at the college level, especially with the added commitment of being part of an athletics program. This involves a combination of their grades, test scores, and course selection.
Based on their high school records, individuals will be deemed Final Qualifiers, Academic Redshirts, or Final Non-qualifiers. Individuals who have no official title are treated as non-qualifiers.
Final Qualifier: Prospective student-athletes may practice, compete and receive athletic scholarship during their first year of enrollment at an NCAA Division I school.
Academic Redshirt: Prospective student-athletes may receive athletics scholarships 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.
Non-qualifier: Prospective student-athlete MAY NOT practice, receive athletics scholarship or compete during their first year of enrollment at an NCAA Division I school.
All student-athletes initially enrolling full-time in college starting in 2016 must meet the following requirements:
NCAA Core Courses (List sent by high school and approved by the NCAA)
- English --> 4 credits
- Mathematics (Level of Algebra I or high) --> 3 credits
- Natural or Physical Science (including at least one laboratory course if offered by the high school --> 2 credits
- Additional Course in English, Mathematics, or Natural or Physical Science --> 1 credit
- Social Science --> 2 credits
- Additional academic course [in any of the above areas or foreign language, philosophy or non-doctrinal religion (e.g., comparative religion) courses] --> 4 credits
Test Scores
Prospective student-athletes must present a corresponding test score and core-course GPA on the sliding scale that meets NCAA requirements.
- SAT: Critical reading and math sections
- ACT: English, math, reading, and science sections.
All ACT and SAT attempts before initial full-time collegiate enrollment may be used for initial eligibility.
Note: Enter 9999 during ACT or SAT registration to ensure the testing agency reports your score directly to the NCAA Eligibility Center. Test scores on transcripts will not be used by the NCAA Eligibility Center to determine qualifier status.
| Final Qualifier |
Academic Redshirt |
- Complete 16 core courses
- Ten of the 16 core courses must be completed before the seventh semester (senior year) of high school
- Seven of the 10 core courses in the first six semesters must be in English, Math, or Science
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- Earn a core-course GPA of at least 2.300
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- Earn a core-course GPA of at least 2.000
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- Earn the ACT/SAT score matching your core-course GPA on the Division I sliding scale
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- Earn the ACT/SAT score matching your core-course GPA on the Division I sliding scale
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- Individuals who do not meet either of the above standards are Final Nonqualifiers.
More Information about NCAA Eligibility:
http://www.ncaa.org/static/2point3/
NCAA Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athletes:
http://www.ncaapublications.com/productdownloads/CBSA16.pdf
