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Eligibility for College Sports

Understanding Your Path to Playing at the Next Level

If you're a student-athlete thinking about college sports, it's important to understand the academic eligibility requirements early. Depending on the level of college athletics you're pursuing—NCAA Division I, II, or III, NAIA, NJCAA, or club sports—each has different guidelines.

At ETHS, we use Honest Game to help student-athletes track their eligibility status and stay on track to meet academic requirements. Below is a breakdown of the different eligibility requirements based on athletic divisions.

Academic Eligibility by Division

Division / Association Eligibility Requirements
NCAA Division I
  • Minimum 2.3 GPA in 16 NCAA-approved core courses
  • A 2.0 GPA allows for an academic redshirt (eligible for practice and scholarship, not competition)
  • Test scores are waived
  • Must register with the NCAA Eligibility Center
  • Must graduate from high school
  • Requirements begin freshman year

Division I Toolkit
NCAA Division II

• Minimum 2.2 GPA in 16 NCAA-approved core courses
• Test scores are waived
• Must register with the NCAA Eligibility Center
• Must graduate from high school
• Requirements begin freshman year

Division II Toolkit
NCAA Division III

• Must graduate from high school
• No national eligibility requirements—each school sets its own standards

Is Division III right for me?
NAIA

• Graduate from high school with a 2.3 GPA or
• Must meet 2 of 3:
 ◦ 2.0 GPA
 ◦ SAT 970 or ACT 18
 ◦ Graduate in the top 50% of class (Note: ETHS does not rank students)

NAIA Guide
NJCAA (Junior College) • Must graduate from high school or earn a GED
• Planning to transfer? Additional NCAA transfer requirements apply—see your Honest Game report
Intramural / Club Sports
• Must graduate from high school
• No national academic eligibility rules—each college sets its own criteria

What’s a Core Course?

“Core courses” are classes that count toward your NCAA eligibility GPA. ETHS designates approved core courses in two places:

  • The ETHS Course Selection Guide (look for courses marked with the "N" symbol)

  • The official ETHS NCAA Course List

Start planning early—eligibility requirements begin freshman year and your performance in core courses matters.

Track

 

Contact Information
Athletics Office
G183

Joyce Anderson
College-Bound Student-Athlete Advisor
Email: andersonjo@eths202.org