Athletic Classifications of South Dakota Schools
NCAA Division I- South Dakota State University, University of South Dakota
NCAA Division II- Augustana, Black Hills State University, Northern State University, University of Sioux Falls, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology
NCAA Division III- Presentation College
NAIA- Dakota State University, Mount Marty, Dakota Wesleyan University
Any student interested in participating in athletics at the college level needs to go through the eligibility center appropriate to the classification of the school he or she plans to attend to determine eligibility.
The eligibility center needs to receive an official copy of the student's ACT or SAT scores. (They need to be sent from ACT headquarters in Iowa; a copy from the student's high school is not official.)
Those who have taken the ACT will need to contact ACT, pay the extra fee, and have an official copy sent to the eligibility center.
Information and form can be found in the sites below.
NAIA- First-time NAIA students who wish to participate in athletics in 2027-2028 must have their eligibility determined by the NAIA Eligibility Center. Visit their website to register.
Freshman Eligibility (Must meet 2 of 3 requirements.)
18 on ACT
2.0 overall high school GPA
Top 50% of high school graduating class
NAIA division schools in South Dakota include Dakota State University, Dakota Wesleyan University, and Mount Marty.
NCAA- As of August 1, 2013, Division II Eligibility Requirements for core classes will change to be identical as Division I requirements. Also, NCAA rules regarding the acceptance of high school software-based credit recovery, virtual, online, independent study, or correspondence coursework have changed effective August 1, 2010. Just because a course meets high school graduation requirements does not mean it will be accepted for entrance/athletic participation at an NCAA school. Visit eligibilitycenter.org for information concerning students and administrators.
Here is the link to the 501(c)3 non-profit recruiting webinar your CoreCourseGPA.com program is supporting. It will go a long way in properly educating your family (and even coaches and counselors) about the recruiting process.
NCAA Guide for College-Bound Student-Athletes- http://www.ncaapublications.com/productdownloads/cbsa17.pdf
Resources
freerecruitingwebinar.org/athlete-webinar
FreeRecruitingWebinar.org is endorsed by the NIAAA (National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association) and supported by the ABCA (American Baseball Coaches Association). It provides a cost-free means to educate families about the recruiting process by providing a webinar addressing these and other subjects:
Three rules of being a parent
Scholarship myths and facts
NAIA and JUCO education
How scholarships differ
The Name Game
Negotiate/Cooperative Education
Dangers of social networking/cell phones
National Letter of Intent
NCAA/NAIA Eligibility Centers
Recruiting Services
NCAA core course requirements
It is recommend to "like" FreeRecruitingWebinar.org on Facebook. By doing so, parents and students will be able to take more ownership of the recruiting process. facebook.com/frworg