Do more in your recruiting
Many high school athletes are under the impression that registering with the NCAA or NAIA eligibility center early will get them recruited to play college sports. Unfortunately, this is not the case. High school athletes will need to put in a lot more effort in getting recruited besides meeting initial eligibility.
Registering with either the NCAA or the NAIA eligibility centers is a process in which potential student-athletes must go through in order to be ELIGIBLE to participate in college sports at those levels. That’s right the NCAA, NAIA and individual college institutions want to make sure their future student-athletes have what it takes to play at the college level and to meet academic standards at or above the rest of the student body population.
Why you need to be eligible
The NCAA, NAIA and individual colleges require athletes to continue meeting eligibility requirements throughout their college career. Keep in mind student-athletes are students first and athletes second. College student-athletes will be required to work on meeting their degree requirement’s each semester. Athletes must be able to perform in the classroom along with on the court in order to keep their athletic scholarship and remain eligible to continuing playing on the team.
Why you will not need to register with the eligibility center
Student-athletes often hear from their current coaches or a friend-of- a-friend who tells them; in order to play college sports you need to register with the clearinghouse/eligibility center. This is true if you are planning to play at the NCAA division I or NCAA division II level; however there are more college levels available to student-athletes looking to compete. Other college levels such as NCAA division III and NJCAA (junior colleges) do not require athletes to register with an eligibility center. The NAIA also has its own eligibility center where athletes must register in order to compete at that level.
Why you will not get recruited once you meet initial eligibility
Because the NAIA and NCAA (division I and division II) levels offer student-athletes funding in terms of athletic scholarships they need to ensure student-athletes are prepared for college both academically and athletically. The eligibility process assists college coaches by making sure athletes they are interested in; meet general requirements to play at the college level.
Athletes need to be aware of what it means to register with the NAIA and NCAA eligibility center
Registering with the NAIA or NCAA eligibility center does not mean an athlete’s information will automatically be viewed by college coaches. In any case college coaches do not even access potential student-athletes information until they are serious about recruiting them. Thousands of students each year register with the NCAA eligibility and their information is never fully processed because college coaches are not interested in recruiting them; most likely because coaches do not know anything about the player.
The NAIA eligibility center has some extra options
During the eligibility process for the NAIA there are added options, where potential student-athletes will be able to send their sports resume and eligibility registration to 5 NAIA coaches they choose. This is a great tool which may spark conversations between athletes and coaches. It’s not recommend for athletes to rely solely on this type of communication, but it can help with the recruiting process.
If you have more questions about either eligibility center than leave a comment below or connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.
So can i start contacting coaches even though I have not registered with the eligibility center yet?
Absolutely! You do not need to be registered with the eligibility center to contact college coaches.
Have you started reaching out to coaches at this time? What division level are you planning on playing for?
If the athlete is already got an offer and verbals with the coach do you need to be registered with the ncaa eligbility center.
Hi Paul,
If the athlete is going to participate for a NCAA division I or division II college they will need to be registered with the NCAA eligibility center. Coaches will need the information in order to make sure the athlete is cleared to participate at the college level.
What division level will the athlete be playing at?
I played football in middle school nd in my senior year of high school, now I graduated in 2006 and I’m 25 years old now, I work daily nd I’ve always wanted to play college football cause I love the sport and I have the determination to take my sports career to the next level what would you recommend that I do to try for a walk on try out ?
Hi Mike,
The best option for you at this time is to search out JC opportunities. At the NJCAA level there are plenty of teams at a high competitive level. It’s great that you are going to go for the walk-on since you have not played in awhile. NJCAA.org has a great database where you will be able to search for colleges with football teams. You will still need to get in contact with coaches, enroll in the college and find out when try-outs will be.
If you have other questions about getting started in your recruiting just let us know.
My son is going into the tenth grade. He has the drive to play ball at the college level when he gets to that. He has been to one camp at the University of South Carolina.We want him to have the best chance at persuing a career in baseball. Should we be trying to find more camps for him to attend?
Camps are a great way to gain exposure. Make sure the camps will be a benefit to him. What most recruits don’t realize is that you can begin to talk with college coaches. It will be a good idea for your son to update coaches, especially the one’s he is interested in playing for that he will be attending the camp and what he plans to learn. He should also follow-up with the coach after the camp to continue building rapport with coaches.
Has he thought about where he would like to attend college or what he would like to study?
If he is serious encourage him to create a sports resume and start getting in touch with college coaches. Another route is to explore travel teams.
Please where can i apply for collage soccer scholaship?
Eugene,
There is not one place you can go to to get a college soccer scholarship. Getting a scholarship is about researching colleges, finding the right fit, increasing your exposure and the biggest part- getting in touch with college coaches.
We can help you get in touch with college coaches, but it will be up to you to find the right colleges you want to compete for and where you want to study at.
College coaches want to hear from recruits. They want to see your skills either by video, or showcases.
Let us know if you have any other recruiting questions.
I’m a junior in high school and I either want to play juco or division 2 so what things should i start doing now to reach these coaches and to notice me or to get a walk on
Hi Terry,
In order to reach any coach at any division level you will need to create a sports resume which will include your academic, athletic and video clips. Coaches will not know you are interested in their program until you tell them. Junior year is going to be the best time. Start preparing now so you can send out your resume once school begins.
You may also want to look into playing for an NAIA college, they have great colleges with great competition too.
Let us know if you have any other recruiting questions we will be here to help.
I’m going to be a sophomore in high school this coming fall, when should I register? Also, the university of Hawaii is my choice school because they offer a full cheerleading scholarship. I’m clueless on how to even get started on my way to obtaining that scholarship. Please feel free to email me, thank you.
Hi Tiara,
Thanks for your question. It is great that you are already trying to learn about your recruitment and that you have an idea of which colleges offer cheerleading scholarships. Cheerleading is not an NCAA sport, so the good news is that you do not need to register with the eligibility center.
What you can do at this point is send your sports resume and video to the Hawaii coach so they know you are interested in their team.
If you have any other questions let us know we are here to help.
I have not played at all at the NAIA level and am a transferring sophomore does it mean I am eligible since I have not played before?
Hi Geno,
Thanks for your question. You are eligible to play at the NAIA. You will need to register with the NAIA eligibility center in order for them to determine how many years of eligibility you have left. You can register at playnaia.org
Have you already been in contact with the college coach you are planning on playing for? Let us know if you have any other recruiting questions, we are here to help.
I’m currently emailing a college coach now and she asked for my ncaa clearinghouse #. Where and how do I get that? I just registered with NCSA and submitted the form for this website too and not sure where to go to find it.
Hi Dan,
Thanks for your question. You will need to register with the NCAA clearinghouse/ eligibility center if you are planning on playing at a NCAA division I or division II college. The coach needs you to go to the NCAA Eligibility Center website and create an account. Let me know if you have any other questions about the eligibility center or getting recruited I will be happy to help.
where do you go to get in touch with coaches abt basketball.
You can use the the College Coach Database at athleticscholarships.net Register for an account and then you can start searching schools and getting the contact information for coaches you are interested in.
Hi! I’m from Sebia and I would like to contact coaches about volleyball international scholarships. How can I do that? :)
Hi Danica,
To get in touch with college coaches you will need to be prepared. Check this out for mare information. http://www.collegesportsscholarships.com/contact-college-coaches.htm
Let us know if you have any other questions as you move forward in your recruitment.
My son is currently a sophomore and hopes to play college basketball. This is all so new to me. Where do we start?
Hi Cynthia, Thanks for leaving your question. You and your son are stating to find out recruiting information at the right time. Does he have an idea of what colleges or what division level he wants to compete in? We are here to help with any questions you or he has along the way.
My son is a junior right now and has been on the football, basketball and track teams. Now he’s thinking of adding wrestling. I’m not sure how to go about finding him a scholarship when he’s done several sports. Is it better to focus on trying to get a scholarship for one sport or should we do his athletic resume highlighting all the sports? We’ll be looking at DII, DIII or NJCAA. THANKS!
To start, he should really think about hos passion and which sport or sports he will want to continue to compete in. Competing in college sports is more like a job, is he willing to spend all his time playing?
If he has colleges in mind, then it will be in his best interest to contact all the coaches for the sports he wants to compete in.
My daughter initially registered with the NCAA and has been on one official visit. That school did not make an offer so she is looking into other schools, however they are NAIA. Are there rules or restrictions in registering with both the NCAA and the NAIA eligibility centers?
There are no restrictions in registering for both the NAIA and NCAA eligibility centers. If you are talking to both NCAA and NAIA schools it is best to be registered in both centers. Best of luck.
I wanted to know if you can still get looked at even if you didn’t take your ACT test yet.
You don’t have to have taken the ACT to get recruited and looked at by college coaches. However, before they can offer you a scholarship you will need to be declared eligible with the NCAA and that requires you take the ACT or SAT and register with the Eligibility Center. Your best bet is to begin contacting coaches first and see if they are going to be interested in recruiting you. If they are and they ask you to register with the NCAA then go ahead and do that. Good luck.
My son started college in the fall of 2008 and decided not to play football. He is graduating in May 2013, and would like to enter into graduate school and play football at his Division II school. Will he now be able to play a full 4 years of football if he stays in school and pursues a Masters and/or a Doctorate degree?
Thanks for your question. The NCAA eligibility rules are that you have five years to compete four years once you start as a full time student. Based on what you have told me your son will have one year of eligibility. Of course we always recommend you contact the athletic department at the DII school to get the most accurate answer. Good luck.
Do you have to be a high school coach or can an AAU track coach register an athlete? If yes, how?
NO, coaches do not register athletes. Athletes register themselves with the NCAA Eligibility Center. We always recommend they do that once they have been receiving interest from NCAA D1 or D2 coaches and they are in their Junior year or later. Thanks for the question.
I attended a school with no varsity sports before I transferred to a d1 school in fall of 2009. I graduated from the D1 school in Dec of 2011 and did not play any sports while I was there. How much eligibility do I have left? Is the clock ticking on my eligibility right now even though I am not in school?
also, does the answer to my previous question change if we are talking about a D3 school?
Chances are you don’t have any eligibility at the NCAA level (D1, D2 or D3). Unfortunately, it doesn’t matter if there were no varsity sports. You might have eligibility to play at the Junior college/JUCO level. If you want a final answer I would contact the coaches at the schools you are interested in and they can give you a definite answer on your eligibility at their school. Good luck.
Hello,
I’m currently a junior playing football and signed up on a couple of recruiting sites, how can I start and how to contact college coaches ? Also can you all recomend 8f camps are more exposure to college scouts?
Here is more information on how to contact college coaches (http://www.collegesportsscholarships.com/contact-college-coaches.htm). The best camps for exposure are going to be your big combines (nike sparq, under armour, Shumann’s) or going directly to the camps at the colleges you want to play for. Good luck.
My son is a junior and has been getting no exposure thru his school however he has some nice high lights videos from playing football. Can NCSA be trusted. Do college coaches have a relationship/commitmnet with these recruiting services at all?
Working with NCSA can certainly help with getting exposure for your son. They have thousands of coaches who search the online profiles looking for recruits and reviewing video. All of that said, even if you are working with NCSA there is still work that needs to be done on your end. Using an online profile as your only means for getting exposure is not a smart choice. We always recommend you actively email and call college coaches even if you have an online profile. The best place to start is to have a list of schools you are interested in and have your son begin contacting the coach’s by emailing them his video. If you are getting heavy interest (phone calls and positive responses right away) then you should be off to a good start. If you aren’t getting the responses you want, I recommend you contact NCSA. What NCSA can provide is an excellent resource for matching your son up with schools and programs that would be his best fit. Good luck.
What if I am a junior in college and I played my first year of softball at a Division 1 school my freshmen year, then last year I got a medical red shirt but I am sitting out this year can I freeze my 3 years of eligibility left and play at graduate school or do I lose it? I’ve asked my coach but she keeps giving me the run around about my eligibility.
Based on what you’ve said it sounds like you will have three years of eligibility after this year. You played your freshman year, used a medical two years ago and are using your redshirt this year. After this year you should have three years of eligibility. Good luck!
Hello I am currently at a NJCAA college in kansas, I transferred from a college in Michigan that didn’t have juco sports am i still eligible to play basketball here, also if there are no more scholarships for out of state basketball players, can I still be eligible to play as a walk-on thats not on scholarship. This is a D1 JUCO school. Thanks.
You would be eligible to play. Most likely you can play as a walk-on, however, each state has their own rules about out of state players on a JUCO team and I am not sure about Michigan’s rules. Your best resource will be to contact the coach at the school you have transferred to and they can help you. Good luck!
Hi I’m from Germany and I received an offer from a college they play D1.
Now I received a score of 810 in the SAT(Math,Critical reading) I know a higher score is better and I think I need a higher one.. but is it possible even if I did’t reached the score.. If the coach wants me they would say “yea thats ok” be eligible??
sry for my english
There is a minimum SAT score you will need and it depends on your GPA. If you don’t meet that minimum, you will not be eligible; the coach can’t control that. To determine what you need to score on the SAT you are going to want to work with the coach offering you a scholarship. Good luck!
Currently a Freshman at a JUCO and was thinking about transferring to a D1 school after this baseball season. I still haven’t registered with the clearinghouse because I didn’t need to while attending this JUCO. Will I have any problems transferring to a D1 school next semester?
Transferring from a JUCO after 1 year is much more difficult because you will need to meet the academic standards of an incoming freshman and not just a transfer student. If you know what school you want to transfer to, contact the coaches there and let them know who you are and what you are planning to do. If they want you on their team they will work with you and the JUCO to make sure you are going to meet the academic eligibility requirements in order to do so. Good luck!
Im a freshman in college and ill be going to my sophomore year, my fist semester wasnt the best. but i want to play D2 college football at my university or any university. i tried out for a walk on spot but they did not have space on the roster due to the recruiting. i just want to know if their are rules in contacting other schools that im interested or not ?
If you are not part of the team you have no restrictions on contacting other schools. Good luck, let us know if we can help.
Hey, I’m a freshman at a highschool and I’ve been playing football outside of school for about 2 years and am now on the highschool football team. I’ve been doing research about what I want to do after highschool and college football really interests me. From what I’m told the difference between D1 and D2 schools is that D1 players spend more time on the football feild. I have a 3.58 GPA (on a 4 point system) and I’ve noticed a lot of Ivy League schools are D1 schools (Harvard, Stanford, UCLA, etc.) and I’m interested in going to those schools. Would I still be able to have time to study and pursue a possible medical career and also play college football at a D1 school? Also, will being Canadian (I live in Toronto) have any affect on being accepted/getting scholarships?
Each program is a little different in terms of how much time they will ask of you outside of sports. In general, bigger football programs like Stanford and UCLA will require more time then Ivy Schools. Your question about time to study is an excellent question for the coaches once you begin emailing them. There should be no issues with you being from Canada and receiving a scholarship.
I strongly recommend you reach out to the schools you are interested in and work with the coaches to make sure you are going to have all of the necessary classes for their universities. Good luck and please ask us any questions you have as they come up.
I’m a junior in high school and I plan on wrestling in college. I have mostly been looking at DI schools, but there are a few DIII schools that interest me. If I register with the NCAA Clearinghouse due to the DI schools I’m looking at, could it interfere with the possibility of wrestling at a DIII school? I’m concerned with registering limiting me between the two levels, being that DI requires registration but DIII does not.
Thanks.
Register with the NCAA Eligibility Center does not limit your opportunities to play at the NCAA DI, DII or DIII level. You could even register with the NCAA and end up wrestling for an NAIA school. Good luck.
I went to a community college in the fall of 2007 and started playing volleyball for the college. But, I injured myself and I wasn’t even halfway done with the season. I’m I eligible to go back and play for a community college at all?
Your 5 years of eligibility has expired.
Hello,
I played college football this past season and the one prior. I am planning on playing college basketball now and am wondering if i still only have 3 years of eligibility left or if I now would have 5 years because its a different sport.
Thanks
You have 5 years to play 4 years. Once you start playing college sports, your eligibility for all sports starts. This means your eligibility for basketball started your first year of football. It sounds like you would have 3 years of eligibility with basketball. Good luck!
I am a junior about to start my junior year of track. Not registered yet for the eligibility center, will D1 schools still have interest in me and contact me? and what are the requirements if I wish to play football and track & field at a D1 college?
If you are interested in running track at a certain college, contact the coaches at that school. Most times, track coaches will let you know exactly what times you need to run for their team. Getting answers from football coaches is more difficult. You will need to get a highlight film online and share that with then when you email them. Also, having an online profile can really help in putting all of the information coaches will need to know about you in one place. Let me know if you have more questions.
I am a sophmore in college at a division I school and I played high school football but not college. If i was to walk-on how many years of eligibility would i have?
From the time you start college you have 5 years to play four years. Based on what you’ve said, it sounds like you would have 3 years of eligibility.
Hello, My grandson played football and baseball in high school. He decided to pursue baseball at the junior college level, 1 because his grades weren’t great and 2 he wisely felt he needed seasoning and more experience as a pitcher. He never took the SAT nor registered with the NCAA. He is now a sophomore in junior college, playing in his last year at that level. Academically he is in the low “C” area overall, he’s not a particularly good student. His junior college coach just told him that a coach from a D1 school “called for him.” The 1st question I have is what does that mean? 2nd what should my grandson do about it. Finally does he have to take the SAT at this point, (college sophomore), to be eligible?
The coach calling means he is interested in recruiting your grandson. Your grandson should ask his coach what school called and contact that coach immediately. He does not need to take the SAT. That said, I am concerned that with a low C average he is going to have eligibility issues. He needs to contact the coach at the DI school as soon as possible and begin the process of determining his academic eligibility. Good luck.
i signed a letter of intent to an NAIA school and only took a placement test and got my classes i qualified for yet i never attended a class and left one week into fall camp due to personal family issues. this was in 2006. its now 2013 and me and my family are now in a comfortable position to send myself back to school. im looking into walking on at a D-1 school and wondering if i still have my 4-5 years of eligibility left. im hoping so since i never attended the NAIA school. my only worry is the school may not have withdrawn me like i asked because i know theyve been caught with fraud by using the full pell grants of students that ended up leaving or withdrawing sort of like my situation. any info is greatly appreciated guys, thanks
By the rules, once you have enrolled as a full time student, your eligibility should start. This means your five years to play four years would have expired. There might have been an opportunity for a family hardship waiver for an additional year of eligibility, but even then, more than 6 years has passed. Of course you can contact DI programs, and if one is interested in you, they would have their athletic department look into your eligibility options. Good luck.
I’m international student,from Brazil how can I send my high school transcripts to NCAA
Thank you
The mailing address is on this page part of the way down http://www.collegesportsscholarships.com/ncaa-eligibility-center.htm. You need to have your school send an official copy. Good luck.
I am in high school and have the opportunity to graduate early. Would it affect any possible scholarships or eligibility to play collegiate sports?
The only real benefit to graduating early is if you are going to start college early is if the college coaches interested in offering you a scholarship want you to graduate early. If you are considering graduating early, it is essential you find out what every coach recruiting you thinks about you graduating early.
My son had to transfer his junior year of high school went once there he made the varsity baseball team he is now a senior continuing his baseball because he left his home state wher he played baseball his entire life travel teams and on his highschool team where he was well known now that he is graduating in another state will this hurt his chances to get on a baseball team in college? He has been accepted to a few colleges but not for baseball is it too late to get on a team?
When you graduate late in the high school process can hurt his recruiting, but generally if a coach is interested in a recruit they will know when they move. Do you have any contact with coaches? The reason recruiting is pretty much over is because coaches are done looking at seniors. There might be a few opportunities, but you will have to contact the coaches yourself or look for a Junior College and plan on transferring in a couple years. Let me know if I can help.