NCAA

The NCAA, or National Collegiate Athletic Association, was established in 1906 and serves as the athletics governing body for more than 1,300 colleges, universities, conferences and organizations. The national office is in Indianapolis, Indiana, 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:

• 346 active Division I members;
• 291 active Division II members; and
• 439 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 do not. For more information about the NCAA or its members, please visit NCAA.org.

If you want to play NCAA college sports and receive a scholarship at the Division I or Division II level, you will need to register and be cleared by the NCAA. The Eligibility Center is the organization within the NCAA that determines the academic eligibility and amateur status for all NCAA Division I and Division II athletes. It is important to meet with your counselor to make sure your high school program meets eligibility requirements. Core courses is the name that the NCAA gives to high school courses that meet certain academic criteria specified by the association. Students must complete a certain number of core courses for NCAA Division I and II eligibility.

All participating high schools submit lists of the courses that they offer that meet NCAA core-course criteria. If approved, the courses are added to a database that the NCAA Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse maintains. You can check this database and view a list of approved core courses here.

The NCAA's Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete suggests students register at the beginning of their Sophomore year. To register with the Eligibility Center click here.