Athletes: NCAA D I, II, III or NAIA
College athletics is a fantastic way for students to follow their athletic passions at the college level. There are several things to consider and several items that must be completed throughout a student’s high school years, including eligibility requirements, submission of transcripts, and registration with the NCAA Clearinghouse.
The two most prominent associations are:
- The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), which is divided into different divisions - Division I, Division II, and Division III; NCAA Guide to the college-Bound Student-Athlete
- The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) NAIA Guide to the College-Bound Student-Athlete
It is important to be familiar with the initial-eligibility requirements and to consult with both your BMHS academic counselor and each associations’ guidelines, as they can change. Your counselor will be able to help you with your initial evaluation for your academic requirements, which is the first item that must be satisfied in order to compete at the college level.
RECOMMENDED TIMELINE
*View the NCAA’s comprehensive High School Timeline
Grade 9
- Let your academic counselor know that you are interested in competing in college athletics;
- Register with the NCAA Eligibility Center and/or NAIA Eligibility Center
- On the NCAA Eligibility Center home page, complete the Free Profile Page. You will only need to create one account with the Eligibility Center. Starting with the free Profile Page is the best practice, as you can transition it later to the Certification account needed for your circumstances;
- Review the Division I and II initial-eligibility academic requirement (Division III schools set their own admissions and eligibility requirements);
- Find the BMHS list of NCAA-approved core courses BMHS’ code is 053512
Grade 10
- If you’re being actively recruited by an NCAA Division I or II school and have a free Profile Page account, transition it to a paid Academic & Amateurism Certification account;
- Monitor the task list in your NCAA Eligibility Center account for next steps;
- At the end of the school year, ask your counselor to upload an official transcript to your Eligibility Center account. If you are a transfer student or you took any classes outside of BMHS, an official transcript from each school you attended must be sent to the NCAA Eligibility Center.
Grade 11
- Ensure your sports participation information is correct in your Eligibility Center account;
- Check with your BMHS counselor to make sure you are on track to complete the required number of NCAA-approved core courses and graduate on time with your class;
- Share your NCAA ID with NCAA schools recruiting you so each school can place you on its institutional request list;
- At the end of the school year, ask your counselor to upload an official transcript to your Eligibility Center account. If you are a transfer student or you took any classes outside of BMHS, an official transcript from each school you attended must be sent to the NCAA Eligibility Center.
NOTE: The NCAA does not require the SAT/ACT for their initial eligibility certification. However, the school you plan to attend may still require it.
Grade 12
- Request your final amateurism certification beginning April 1 (fall enrollees) or Oct. 1 (winter/spring enrollees) in your Eligibility Center account. All tasks in your NCAA Eligibility Center account should be completed at this time;
Apply and be accepted to the NCAA school you plan to attend;
Complete your final NCAA-approved core courses as you prepare for graduation;
After you graduate, ask your BMHS counselor to upload your final official transcript with proof of graduation to your Eligibility Center account.
*Below is also a list of all BMHS graduates who have gone on to play at the collegiate level.
