NCAA Eligibility Checklist for 2021-2024 Graduates

As the recruiting landscape continues to change, keeping things on track can be challenging. To help recruits manage their recruiting, NCSA experts broke down what student-athletes should be doing to stay on track with NCAA eligibility by grad year.

Class of 2021

Senior year is the time to make sure you have all your ducks in a row as your high school athletic career comes to a close. At this point, you should already know the core classes required for NCAA Eligibility and be on track to complete any remaining cores during first semester of your senior year. Student-athletes looking to better their standardized test score, this is the time to prepare and take the ACT/SAT one final time. Check out this clip for more senior year recruiting tips.

Class of 2022

Junior year is the start of the relationship-building process between coaches and athletes, as coaches begin connecting recruits, in most sports, June 15 after their sophomore year. Student-athletes looking to play at the D1 and D2 levels need to fill out the NCAA certification account. What is this account? To start, it secures your amateur status and says you are pacing to graduate above a 2.3 GPA, but it also provides you with a 10-digit eligibility identification number that coaches will ask you for when scheduling official visits, offering scholarships and national letter of intent. This is also when recruits will begin studying for and taking the ACT/SAT, which factor into the NCAA’s sliding scale for eligibility. Learn more about NCAA eligibility and recruiting for the class of 2022.

Class of 2023 and 2024

The college recruiting process requires student-athletes to be proactive as early as freshman year. This is the time to create an NCSA Recruiting Profile, filled out with key metrics, a personal statement and highlight video that college coaches can review as they evaluate talent for their list of prospective athletes. This is also the time to identify the division level(s) that you are best suited for and research programs that meet your needs. For more tips on starting the college recruiting process, check out this clip.