In response to the NCAA membership's concerns about amateurism issues related to both international and domestic prospective student-athletes, President Myles Brand has authorized the creation of a centralized amateurism certification process.
The NCAA Eligibility Center will include an amateurism certification section that will be used to determine the amateur status of domestic and international freshman and transfer prospective student-athletes initially enrolling at NCAA Divisions I and II member institutions on or after August 1, 2007. [Note: In NCAA Division III, certification of an individual's amateurism status is completed by each institution. For more information on Division III amateurism rules, click here.]
During the fall 2006, prospects will begin completing the amateurism section when they register with the NCAA Eligibility Center.
Prospective student-athletes may register with the NCAA Eligibility Center via the Internet at the beginning of their junior year in high school. As part of the amateurism certification process, each prospect will be asked to answer several questions regarding his or her sports participation history. Early registration with the NCAA Eligibility Center and the completion of the athletics participation questions will allow institutions to have preliminary information regarding a prospect's amateurism status, which will promote consistency in the recruiting process. Final certifications of amateur status will occur at the end of the prospective student-athlete's senior year of high school or approximately two to three months prior to initial full-time enrollment at an NCAA Division I or II institution.
Amateurism certification will not cover
all areas of NCAA Bylaw 12. Institutions will be responsible for determining the amateur status of prospective student-athletes for the areas of the amateurism bylaws not covered by the amateurism certification process. In addition, institutions will be responsible for certifying compliance for all amateurism bylaws during the time period between the student-athlete's request for final amateurism certification and his or her initial enrollment at an NCAA institution.
Selected amateurism rules to be certified by amateurism certification include:
Prospective Student-Athletes: How to Request a Final Certification
Institutions: Start of "Gap Time" and Institutional Responsibility
Sample Amateurism Questionnaire
Introduction to Amateurism Certification Process PowerPoint
The contact for this page is rhale@ncaa.org
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