What is the NCAA?
What is the NCAA?
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse, located in Iowa City, Iowa, handles registration to determine a student’s initial eligibility to play sports at a Division I or Division II college or university. The NCAA is committed to the student-athlete and to governing competition in a fair, safe, inclusive and sportsmanlike manner.
The NCAA’s membership includes:
331 active Division I members
291 active Division II members
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.
The NCAA Eligibility Center (formerly the clearinghouse) 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.
Division I initial-eligibility requirements
Aspiring DI student-athletes need to present 16 core courses in the following breakdown:
4 years of English
3 years of mathematics (Algebra I or higher)
2 years of natural/physical science (one must be a lab science)
1 year of additional English, math or science
2 years of social studies
4 years of additional core courses (from any area listed above, or from world language, non doctrinal religion or philosophy)
ALL student athletes are encouraged to register with the Clearinghouse online at: https://web3.ncaa.org/ecwr3/
When signing up for the SAT/ACT, request test scores to be sent to the NCAA eligibility center (using the code is 9999).
The Clearinghouse customer service telephone number is 877-262-1492; representatives are available from 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday. Fax Number 317-968-5100.