Prospective College Athletes

Becoming a College Athlete

If you want to become a student-athlete, you must first take care of your academic responsibilities.  In addition to athletic skill, student-athletes need to meet academic qualifications established by the athletic eligibility center to which the college belongs, either the NCAA or the NAIA.

You must register with the eligibility center and meet all the established requirements in order to be considered for athletics in an NCAA or NAIA college.

  • Register at the end of your 11th grade year.
  • When you take your  ACT or SAT test, have your  scores forwarded directly from the testing service to the eligibility center:

The NCAA code is 9999

The NAIA code is 9876

  • You will need to send a final, official high school transcript to the association.

Visit the athletic association websites to find what schools offer your sport, eligibility information, answers to frequently asked questions, etc.

Frequently Asked Questions

NCAA

National Collegiate Athletic Association

NAIA

National Association  of Intercollegiate Athletics

Website www.ncaa.org www.naia.org
Where can I get more information? www.eligibilitycenter.org www.playnaia.org
What are the academic requirements for approval?

High school graduation, plus:

  • The successful completion of 16 core courses. At least 10 of the 16 core courses must be completed prior to the beginning of the 7th semester of high school. Be sure to check your school’s NCAA core course approval list.
  • A minimum 2.3 GPA in core courses
  • A combined SAT or ACT score that matches your core-course GPA on the sliding scale. As the GPA increases, the required test score decreases, and vice versa.

High school graduation, plus two out of three of these requirements:

  • Achieve a minimum of 18 on the ACT or 860 on the SAT
  • Achieve a minimum overall high school GPA of 2.0 on a 4.0 sliding scale.
  • Graduate in the top half of your high school.
Is there a fee to register? Yes, fee waivers are available for low-income families

Yes, fee waivers are available for low-income families

Portola High School's list of NCAA-approved courses is pending approval.  Once it is approved, courses will be available at www.ncaaclearinghouse.net

NCAA Division I Requirements

To participate in Division I athletics or receive an athletic scholarship during the 1st year of college, a student-athlete must:

  • Graduate from high school
  • Complete a 16 core course requirement in 8 semesters. Complete at least 10 of the required 16 core courses prior to the beginning of the 7th semester of high school.

DIVISION I: 16 Core-Course Rule

  • 4 years of English
  • 3 years of mathematics (Math I or higher)
  • 2 years of natural/physical science (1 year of lab if offered by high school)
  • 1  year of additional English, mathematics or natural/physical science
  • 2 years of social science
  • 4 years of additional courses (from any subject area above, or foreign language or nondoctrinal religion/philosophy)
  • Earn a minimum required grade point average of 2.3 in core courses.
  • Earn a combined SAT or ACT score that matches the core course grade point average and test-score sliding scale (Example: A 3.000 core course GPA needs at least a 620 SAT). Visit the NCAA quick reference guide website (see website above).

NCAA Division II Requirements

If you enroll in a Division II college and want to participate in athletics or receive an athletic scholarship during your first year, you must:

  • Graduate from high school
  • Complete a 16 core course requirement in 8 semesters.

DIVISION II 16 Core-Course Rule

  • 3 years of English.
  • 2 years of mathematics (Math I or higher).
  • 2 years of natural/physical science (1 year of lab if offered by high school).
  • 2 years of additional English, mathematics or natural/physical science.
  • 2 years of social science.
  • 3 years of additional courses (from any subject area above, or foreign language or nondoctrinal religion/philosophy).
  • Earn a 2.000 Grade Point average or better in your core courses.
  • Earn a combined SAT score of 820 (reading and math combined) or ACT composite score of 68 (all four scores combined).