Best Practices for Certifying NCAA Division II Initial Eligibility

An institution's initial eligibility process should be well documented with specific responsibilities of all individuals involved to ensure compliance with institutional, conference and NCAA regulations. An initial eligibility certification process that involves active participation of several institutional constituencies (e.g., faculty athletic representative, registrar, compliance coordinator, athletic director, head coach) is the best practice. This process should be developed by all institutional constituencies and approved by the institutional administrator to whom athletics reports (e.g.., vice president) and the president or chancellor (as mandated by Constitution 3.2.4.3 and Bylaw 14.10.1).

Process Prior to Certifying the Initial Eligibility of Prospective Student-Athletes

1. A student-athlete who enrolls at an NCAA Division II institution as an entering freshman with no previous full-time college attendance must be certified by the NCAA Initial Eligibility Clearinghouse. Prospective student-athletes are encouraged to register with the clearinghouse at the conclusion of their junior year in high school at www.ncaaclearinghouse.net. Institutions should advise prospective student-athletes that when registering for the SAT or ACT, they should input the clearinghouse code of 9999 to make sure the score is reported directly to the clearinghouse.   
2. The institution may use the NCAA Compliance Assistant for the Internet (CAi) to communicate and update lists of actively recruited prospective student-athletes within the athletics department and between athletics and other institutional offices (e.g., admissions, financial aid).   
3. Coaches may enter all prospective student-athletes' names and information into the CAi recruiting software. Coaches provide the prospective student-athletes' entering class year, sport and then rank each prospective student-athlete according to institutional guidelines. Later if the prospective student-athlete chooses another institution or is otherwise no longer a prospective student-athlete, the coach may use institutional guidelines to indicate the institution is no longer interested.   
4. If an institution uses CAi, the NCAA Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse liaison can use the CAi Recruiting Module to enter the freshman prospective student-athletes' information into the NCAA Clearinghouse Web site/database.   
5. If the CAi Recruiting Module is not utilized, the institution should require coaches to maintain and submit periodically (e.g., weekly, monthly), until the squad is finalized, a master list of all prospective student-athletes (including new recruits, transfers, walk-ons) to the administrator assigned oversight responsibility. This list is forwarded to the NCAA Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse liaison, admissions office, registrar and financial aid offices.   
6. Once the prospective student-athlete has registered with the clearinghouse and is placed by the institution on its institutional request list (IRL), the prospective student-athlete's status is evaluated by the clearinghouse.   
7. Prospective student-athletes that are on an institutional request list (IRL) will have their preliminary status prioritized by the clearinghouse for processing. Please note that international prospective student-athletes will not receive a preliminary status regardless if he/she is on an institutional request list (IRL). However, all domestic prospective student-athletes with a disability are provided with a preliminary status regardless if he/she is on an institutional request list (IRL). If a prospective student-athlete is not on an institution's institutional request list (IRL) or the eligibility status is never requested by the prospective student-athlete, the clearinghouse may not process a preliminary status report.   
8. Once the prospective student-athlete's preliminary status is determined by clearinghouse, the compliance office should inform the coach about the prospective student-athlete's status and about any missing credentials needed by the clearinghouse. An ad hoc report from the Compliance Assistance for the Internet (CAi) software can be developed to provide a written status report to the head coach.   
9. An institution must designate an institutional administrator to acquire necessary high school academic records (e.g., 48-C from the clearinghouse) for prospective student-athletes who have not graduated from a junior college and to properly identify partial and non-qualifiers transferring from junior colleges that are subject to Bylaw 14.5.4.

Initial Eligibility Process

1. The institution should identify liaisons and formal lines of communication to all personnel involved in the initial eligibility certification process, including how to contact liaisons and the reasons such liaisons should be contacted.   
2. The institution should assign a senior-level administrator (e.g., faculty athletic representative, certifying officer) direct responsibility for reviewing the academic credentials, completed forms and procedures used to certify the initial eligibility of prospective student-athletes in all sports.   
3. The compliance office should establish an initial eligibility time-line for each sport based on the first date of practice and outside competition each semester. The first draft of the CAi Software Eligibility Report should be distributed to the head coach prior to the first date of practice for verification of roster and notice of initial eligibility status for practice and competition. The second draft should be distributed not later than three weeks prior to any outside competition. Additional drafts can be distributed as updates occur. The final copy and official report for signatures of all institutional representatives should be distributed approximately one week prior to the first date of outside competition.

   The following is a sample sport timeline:

   Sport:
   Academic Year:
   Date of first outside competition:
   Date of Team Compliance Meeting:
   Date of First Practice Date:
   Date Roster finalized:
   Date of Eligibility/Squad List Due to Conference Office: 

   • Roster forwarded to Compliance Office:_____ (Month/Day).
   • First draft of initial eligibility list sent to Head Coach: _____ (Month/Day).
   • Initial eligibility list reviewed/ revised and forwarded to Compliance Office: _____ (Month/Day).
   • Initial eligibility list revised by Compliance Office/ forwarded back to Head Coach (second draft): _____ (Month/Day)
   • Head Coach review/ forward revisions to Compliance Office for Final Copy: _____ (Month/Day)
   • Final initial eligibility/squad list to be printed and signed by all parties (head coach, registrar, faculty athletic representative, financial aid administrator, athletics director): _____ (Month/Day)

4. The institution's certification officer should obtain a weekly status report from the clearinghouse regarding the status of all prospective student-athletes in each sport.   
5. The institution must require all prospective student-athletes (freshman and transfers) to complete an historical questionnaire detailing prior academic history and athletics participation. All Division II amateurism regulations must be reviewed.
   • Amateurism Certification Process: Please note that prior to the 2007-08 academic year, all prospective student-athletes that have never attended a Division I or II institution, must have their amateur status certified by the NCAA Initial Eligibility Clearinghouse.
6. Institutions must review each prospective student-athlete's historical questionnaire and determine whether he/she has triggered the use of a season of competition per Bylaw 14.2.4.2 (participation in organized competition prior to initial collegiate enrollment). If there is any delay in full-time collegiate enrollment after high school graduation, it should be assumed that the individual triggered the rule until proven otherwise. If the prospective student-athlete has triggered a season of competition, the individual must serve an academic year in residence at any member institution before being eligible to represent the certifying institution in that specific sport in intercollegiate competition. This must occur regardless if the prospective student-athlete satisfies the initial-eligibility requirements.   
7. If an institution uses the CAi Eligibility Module, an eligibility report should be completed not later than the first date of competition. This report, which includes only those student-athletes that are on the squad list, should be submitted to the conference office.   
8. If there is a change in the status of any student-athlete on the eligibility list, the institution must submit a revised report to the conference office noting the changes.

Initial Eligibility Requirements

If a prospective student-athlete enrolls at a Division II institution, he or she must meet the following requirements:

1. All prospective student-athletes must meet established standards to practice, compete and receive institutional financial aid, including athletics aid, during the first year of collegiate enrollment.   
2. All high school and preparatory school prospective student-athletes must be certified by the NCAA Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse. In Division II, there are four elements of initial eligibility:
   1. Graduation from high school;
   2. Completion of a minimum of 14 core course:
      • Three years of English.
      • Two years of math (Algebra I or higher).
      • Two years of natural/physical science (one lab).
      • Two years of additional English, math or science.
      • Two years of social science.
      • Three years additional courses (any area above or foreign language, nondoctrinal religion or philosophy).
   3. Minimum core-course grade-point average of 2.000; and
   4. Minimum SAT combined score of 820 OR ACT sum score of 68.
      • The SAT combined score is based on the Verbal and Math sections only. The new writing section will not be used.
      • Note: Prospective student-athletes entering a Division II institution on or after August 1, 2007, must have the minimum SAT or ACT score(s) used for initial eligibility provided to the clearinghouse by the appropriate testing agency through an official test score report.
3. Division II does not have a sliding scale for determining initial eligibility. The minimum core course grade-point average and minimum test score must be achieved.   
4. If a prospective student-athlete has attended more than one high school, he/she must request that official transcripts from all high schools attended be sent to the clearinghouse. Transcripts from one high school with grades from a previous high school will not be processed.   
5. If the final high school transcript and/or test scores are available at the institution's admissions office, then copies of these credentials may be mailed by that office to the clearinghouse to complete the prospective student-athlete's file.
   • Note: Prospective student-athletes entering a Division II institution on or after August 1, 2007, must have the minimum SAT or ACT score(s) used for initial eligibility provided to the clearinghouse by the appropriate testing agency through an official test score report.
6. International Prospective Student-Athletes: In addition to high school credentials and test scores, the requirements outlined in the NCAA Guide to International Academic Standards for Athletics Eligibility must be satisfied.   
7. GED Test/Equivalency Diploma: A prospective student-athlete may satisfy the high school graduation requirement if the following requirements are met:
   1. Only scores from a GED test taken by the prospective student-athlete not earlier than the date of the prospective student-athlete's high school class normally would have graduated from high school shall be used;
   2. The prospective student-athlete must present the state high-school equivalency diploma before initial enrollment as a full-time, regularly matriculated student in a collegiate institution;
   3. The prospective student-athlete may receive athletic financial aid and practice at the institution's regular home facility, but not compete, by presenting a minimum average score on the five-part GED test and satisfying either the minimum grade-point average and core-course requirements or the minimum standardized test score; and
   4. To qualify for practice, competition and financial aid, the prospective student-athlete must meet the core-curriculum grade-point average and test-score requirements, in addition to presenting a minimum average score on the five-part GED test.
8. Advanced Placement: If a prospective student-athlete is admitted to the institution with a minimum of 24 semester or 36 quarter hours of advanced placement from a College Entrance Examination Board (CEEB) examination and/or concurrent high-school/college credit without previous enrollment at a collegiate institution, the prospective student-athlete shall be immediately eligible. Credits earned from extension or summer-session courses may not be counted in satisfaction of this requirement.

Final Clearinghouse Certification Decisions

1. Qualifier: All four initial eligibility requirements (graduation, minimum number of core courses, core course grade-point average and test scores) must be satisfied to be certified as a qualifier. Qualifiers may practice, compete and receive institutional financial aid.
   • The final certification must be a Final/Yes for a prospective student-athlete to be a qualifier.
2. Partial Qualifier: A partial qualifier is a student-athlete who does not meet the requirements for a qualifier but who, at the time of graduation from high school, presents one of the following requirements:
   1. Successful completion of the required core curriculum consisting of a minimum number of courses and a specified minimum grade-point average in the core curriculum; or
   2. Specified minimum SAT or ACT score.
   3. A partial qualifier is eligible for practice conducted only in the institution's regular practice facility and institutional financial aid, but may not compete in any outside competition during the first academic year in residence.
   4. Institutions may not certify a student-athlete as a partial qualifier until the clearinghouse certifies the individual as a Final/No.
3. Non-qualifier: A non-qualifier is a student-athlete who has not graduated from high school or who presented neither the core-curriculum grade-point average and SAT or ACT score required for a qualifier.
   • A non-qualifier is not eligible to practice, compete or receive athletic financial aid for one full academic year at the certifying institution.
   • A non-qualifier may not attend any practice sessions in any capacity, nor any meeting characterized as practice.
4. If a student-athlete received a final certification status of partial or non-qualifier, the student-athlete must establish an academic year of residency prior to representing the institution in outside competition. A partial or non-qualifier may participate in an institution's intramural program (not coached by a member of athletic department staff) but may not participate on an institutional club team or outside sports team.   
5. A student-athlete who has never applied to the clearinghouse and has not attended an NCAA institution for a minimum of one full academic year is by default a non-qualifier until they apply and receive a certification decision.

Practice Prior to Certification

1. A recruited or non-recruited student-athlete who reports for athletics participation prior to receipt of a final initial eligibility certification decision and is otherwise enrolled or accepted as a full-time student, shall have a maximum of 45 days to practice but may not compete until the student has received final certification as a qualifier. After the 45-day period, if the student-athlete's certification decision has not been established, the student-athlete is no longer eligible to continue practicing. The student-athlete must have met either the requirement of a qualifier or partial qualifier to continue practicing after the 45-day limit.   
2. The date of the student-athlete's first practice should be documented in the compliance office or eligibility official and the days computed in establishing the last day of students practice should a certification decision not been met. A weekly certification check should be conducted and report issued to head coach on the student-athletes status and remaining practice days.

DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this document is provided as a reference to member institutions and does not constitute binding advice on compliance with NCAA rules and bylaws. Any inquiries related to NCAA rules and bylaws should be directed to the NCAA Membership Services staff. The most updated information regarding NCAA Division II rules, bylaws and procedures can be found by accessing the information on LSDBi.

The contact for this page is lmarsh@ncaa.org