Athletic Eligibility

 The following criteria are required for a student to participate in athletics:
 


1. Be a resident of Riverview School District.
2. Be enrolled and passing all subjects during the term of a competition.
3. Have passed all subjects in the term prior to participation.
4. Have a physical examination card on file in the activities/athletic office.
5. Purchase insurance or submit insurance waiver to the activities/athletic office.
6. Purchase an ASB card.
7. All outstanding fines must be paid.
8. Prior sports season locks and uniforms must be returned.
9. Periodic grading updates required, to be returned to the coach or athletic director.

 

NCAA Freshman Athletic Eligibility

    Students wishing to participate in athletics in Division I & Division II schools must meet certain minimum core academic course requirements. In addition, they must qualify with a minimum core GPA and minimum SAT-1 or ACT test scores. These minimum requirements vary according to the NCAA Initial-Eligibility Index. Early planning is recommended. Interested students should review the following information below.
 

The NCAA and NCAA
Eligibility Center

How to Use this Guide…
The Guide addresses issues for three important groups of readers:
• High school students who hope to participate in college athletics at an NCAA college or university;
• Parents and legal guardians; and
• High school counselors and athletics administrators.

What is the NCAA?

The NCAA, or National Collegiate Athletic Association, was established in 1906 and serves as the athletics governing body for more than 1,280 colleges, universities, conferences and organizations. The national office is in Indianapolis, but the member colleges and universities develop the rules and guidelines for athletics eligibility and athletics competition for each of the three NCAA divisions. The NCAA is committed to the student athlete and to governing competition in a fair, safe, inclusive and sportsmanlike manner.

The NCAA membership includes:
• 331 active Division I members;
• 291 active Division II members; and
• 429 active Division III members.

One of the differences among the three divisions is that colleges and universities in Divisions I and II may offer athletics scholarships, while Division III colleges and universities may not.

What is the NCAA Eligibility Center?
The NCAA Eligibility Center will certify the academic and amateur credentials of all college-bound student-athletes who wish to compete in NCAA Division I or II athletics.

To assist with this process, the Eligibility Center staff is eager to foster a cooperative environment of education and partnership with high schools, high school coaches and college-bound student-athletes. Ultimately, the individual student-athlete is responsible for achieving and protecting his or her eligibility status.

How to find answers to your questions
The answers to most questions can be found in this guide or by:
• Accessing the Eligibility Center's resource page on our Web site at www.ncaaclearinghouse.net, then click on “Prospective Student-Athletes” and then “Information and Resources for Prospective Student-Athletes.”
• Contacting the Eligibility Center at the phone number on this page. In addition, if you are sending transcripts or additional information to the Eligibility Center or have questions, please use the following contact information.

Eligibility Center Contact Information

NCAA Eligibility Center:
Certification Processing
P.O. Box 7136
Indianapolis, IN 46207-7136

Package or overnight delivery:
1802 Alonzo Watford Sr. Drive
Indianapolis, IN 46202

Web address:
 www.ncaaclearinghouse.net

Eligibility Center customer service
Representatives are available from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Eastern time, Monday through Friday.
U.S. callers (toll free): 877/262-1492
International callers: 317/223-0700
Fax: 317/968-5100

When to call the NCAA
Please contact the NCAA when you have questions like these:
• What are the rules and regulations related to initial eligibility?
• What are the rules and regulations related to amateurism?
• What are the regulations about transferring from one college to another?
• What are the rules about athletics scholarships and how can they be reduced or canceled?
• I have an education-impacting disability. Are there any other requirements for me?

Your Eligibility and You

Academic-Eligibility Requirements

Division I

If you want to participate in athletics or receive an athletics scholarship during your first year, you must:
• Graduate from high school;
• Complete these 16 core courses:
               - 4 years of English
               - 3 years of math (algebra 1 or higher)
               - 2 years of natural or physical science (including one year of lab science if offered by your
                  high school.                  
               - 1 extra year of English, math, or natural or physical science
               - 2 years of social science
               - 4 years of extra core courses (from any category above, or foreign language, nondoctrinal religion
                  or philosophy);
• Earn a minimum required grade-point average in your core courses; and
• Earn a combined SAT or ACT sum score that matches your core-course grade-point average and test score sliding scale (for example, a 2.400 core-course grade-point average needs an 860 SAT).

Requirement to graduate with your high school class
You must graduate from high school on schedule (in eight semesters) with your incoming ninth-grade class. If you graduate from high school in eight semesters with your class, you may use one core course completed in the year after graduation (summer or academic year) to meet NCAA Division I eligibility requirements.

You may complete the core course at a location other than the high school from which you graduated and may initially enroll full time at a collegiate institution at any time after completion of the core course.

Division I Qualifier

Being a qualifier entitles you to:

• Practice or compete for your college or university during your first year of college;
• Receive an athletics scholarship during your first year of college; and
• Play four seasons in your sport if you maintain your eligibility from year to year.

Division Core GPA and Test Score Sliding Scale

Division I Nonqualifier

As a nonqualifier, you will not be able to:
• Practice or compete for your college or university during your first year of college; or
• Receive an athletics scholarship during your first year of college, although you may receive need-based financial aid.

You may be able to play only three seasons in your sport if you maintain your eligibility from year to year (to earn a fourth season you must complete at least 80 percent of your degree requirements before beginning your fifth year of college).

Division II

2008 - 2013
If you enroll in a Division II college and want to participate in
athletics or receive an athletics scholarship during your first year, you must:
• Graduate from high school;
• Complete these 14 core courses:
               - 3 years of English
               - 2 years of math (algebra 1 or higher)
               - 2 years of natural or physical science (including one year of lab science if offered by your high
                  school)
               - 2 additional years of English, math, or natural or physical science
               - 2 years of social science
               - 3 years of extra core courses (from any category above, or foreign language, nondoctrinal religion
                 or philosophy);
• Earn a 2.000 grade-point average or better in your core courses; and
• Earn a combined SAT score of 820 or an ACT sum score of 68.

2013 and Later
If you enroll in a Division II college on or after August 1, 2013, and want to participate in athletics or receive an athletics scholarship during your first year, you must:
• Graduate from high school;
• Complete these 16 core courses:
                 - 3 years of English
                 - 2 years of math (algebra 1 or higher)
                 - 2 years of natural or physical science (including one year of lab
                   science if offered by your high school)
                 - 3 additional years of English, math, or natural or physical
                   science
                 - 2 years of social science
                 - 4 years of additional core courses (from any category above, or foreign language, nondoctrinal
                   religion or philosophy);
• Earn a 2.000 grade-point average or better in your core courses; and
• Earn a combined SAT score of 820 or an ACT sum score of 68.

Division II Qualifier

Being a qualifier entitles you to:
• Practice or compete for your college or university during your first year of college;
• Receive an athletics scholarship during your first year of college; and
• Play four seasons in your sport if you maintain your eligibility from year to year.

Division II Partial Qualifier
You will be considered a partial qualifier if you do not meet all of the academic requirements listed above, but you have graduated from high school and meet one of the following:
• The combined SAT score of 820 or ACT sum score of 68; or
• Completion of the 14 core courses with a 2.000 core-course grade-point average.

As a partial qualifier, you:
• Can practice with your team at its home facility during your first year of college;
• Can receive an athletics scholarship during your first year of college;
• Cannot compete during your first year of college; and
• Can play four seasons in your sport if you maintain your eligibility from year to year.

Division II Nonqualifier
You will be considered a nonqualifier if you did not graduate from high school, or, if you graduated and are missing both the core-course grade-point average or minimum number of core courses and the required ACT or SAT scores.

As a nonqualifier, you:
• Cannot practice or compete for your college or university during your first year of college;
• Cannot receive an athletics scholarship during your first year of college, although you may receive need-based financial aid; and
• Can play four seasons in your sport if you maintain your eligibility from year to year.

Division III

Division III does not use the Eligibility Center. Contact your Division III college or university regarding its policies on admission, financial aid, practice and competition.

REMEMBER!
Meeting the NCAA academic rules does not guarantee your admission into a college. You must apply for admission.

Core Courses, Grade-Point Average, Tests and Special Conditions

What Is A Core Course?

A core course must:
• Be an academic course in one or a combination of these areas: English, mathematics, natural/physical science, social science, foreign language, nondoctrinal religion or philosophy;
• Be four-year college preparatory;
• Be at or above your high school’s regular academic level (no remedial, special education or compensatory courses); and
• Be completed not later than the high school graduation date of your class [as determined by the first year of enrollment in high school (ninth grade) or the international equivalent].

Not all classes you take to meet high school graduation requirements may be used as core courses. Courses completed through credit-by-exam will not be used.

Check your high school’s list of approved core courses at the Eligibility Center Web site at www.ncaaclearinghouse.net or ask your high school guidance counselor.

Keep Track Of Your Courses, Units and Credits
By logging onto www.ncaaclearinghouse.net and clicking “General Information,” you will find the Divisions I and II worksheets, which will help you keep track of your completed core courses, units, grades and credits you received for them, plus your ongoing grade-point average. Generally, you will receive the same credit at the Eligibility Center as you received from your high school. Examples are provided in the English and math sections of both worksheets:

1 trimester unit = 0.33 units
1 semester unit = 0.50 units
1 year = 1.0 unit

Grade-Point Average
How Your Core-Course Grade-Point Average is Calculated

The Eligibility Center will calculate the grade-point average of your core courses on a 4.000 scale. The best grades from your NCAA core courses will be used. Grades from additional core courses you took will be used only if they improve your grade-point average.

To determine your points earned for each course, multiply the points for the grade by the amount of credit earned. Use the following scale unless your high school has a different scale on file with the Eligibility Center:

A – 4 points C – 2 points
B – 3 points D – 1 point

Remember: The Eligibility Center does not use plus or minus grades when figuring your core-course grade-point average. For example, grades of B+, B and B- will each be worth 3 quality points.

Special High School Grades and Grade-Point Average

If your high school uses numeric grades (such as 92 or 93), those grades will be changed to your high school's letter grades (such as A or B). See your high school's grading scale by pulling up your school's list of approved core courses at www.ncaaclearinghouse.net.

If your high school normally “weights” honors or advanced courses,  these weighted courses may improve your core-course gradepoint average. Your high school must notify the Eligibility Center of such weighting. To see if your high school has a weighted scale that is being used for calculating your core-course grade-point average, visit www.ncaaclearinghouse.net for an explanation of how these grade weights are handled.

Examples of total quality point calculation:
• An A grade (4 points) for a trimester course (0.33 units): 4 points x 0.33 units = 1.32 total quality points
• An A grade (4 points) for a semester course (0.50 units): 4 points x 0.50 units = 2.00 total quality points
• An A grade (4 points) for a full-year course (1.00 units): 4 points x 1.00 units = 4.00 quality points

Calculate Your Overall Grade-Point Average
To calculate your estimated core-course grade-point average, divide the total number of points for all of your core courses by the total number of core-course units you have completed.

Note: Your calculation helps you keep track of your grade-point average. Should you have any questions, contact your high school guidance counselor.