Part one of our series on College Recruiting, by PrepTalk.

1. An Overview of College Recruiting
Part 1

2. NCAA Background
Who is the NCAA?
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary
association that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges
and universities in the United States. The NCAA oversees 89
championships in 23 sports. There are more than 400,000 student
athletes competing in three divisions at over 1000 colleges and
universities within the NCAA.
Mission of NCAA
The NCAA's core purpose is to govern competition in a
fair, safe, equitable and sportsmanlike manner, and to integrate
intercollegiate athletics into higher education so that the
educational experience of the student-athlete is paramount.

3. NCAA Division Background
Division I
•Approximately 350 schools
•Can offer athletic scholarships
•High competitive; travel nationally to compete
Division II
•Approximately 300 schools; primarily smaller public universities and private
institutions
•Can offer athletic scholarships
•Tend to focus on regional competition
Division III
•Largest division with over 440 schools
•Cannot offer athletic scholarships; Can assist with other forms of financial aid
•Largest number of athletic programs and highest concentration of topranked academic programs

4. Division I & II Eligibility:
Core Courses & Test Scores
Core Courses
•
NCAA Division I requires 16 core courses
•
NCAA Division II requires 16 core courses
Test Scores
•
Division I has a sliding scale for test score and grade-point average.For reference:
http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/eligibility_center/Quick_Reference_Sheet.pdf
•
The SAT score used for NCAA purposes includes only the critical reading and math
sections. The writing section of the SAT is not used.
•
The ACT score used for NCAA purposes is a sum of the four sections on the ACT:
English, mathematics, reading and science.
•
All SAT and ACT scores must be reported directly to the NCAA Eligibility Center by
the testing agency. Test scores that appear on transcripts will not be used. When
registering for the SAT or ACT, use the Eligibility Center code of 9999 to make sure
the score is reported to the Eligibility Center.

5. Division I & II Eligibility:
Core Course Requirements
Division I
16 Core-Course Rule
Division II
16 Core-Course Rule
4 years of English
3 years of English.
3 years of mathematics (Algebra I or higher)
2 years of mathematics (Algebra I or higher).
2 years of natural/physical science (1 year of lab if
offered by high school).
2 years of natural/physical science (1 year of lab if
offered by high school).
1 year of additional English, mathematics or
natural/physical science.
3 years of additional English, mathematics or
natural/physical science.
2 years of social science.
2 years of social science.
4 years of additional courses (from any area
above, foreign language or comparative
religion/philosophy).
4 years of additional courses (from any area
above, foreign language or comparative
religion/philosophy).

6. Division I & II Eligibility:
Grade Point Average
Grade-Point Average
•
Only NCAA core courses are used in the calculation of the grade-point
average.
•
Be sure to look at your high school’s list of NCAA-approved core courses on the
Eligibility Center's Web site to make certain that courses being taken have been
approved as core courses. The Web site is www.ncaaclearinghouse.net.
•
Division I GPA required to receive athletics aid and practice on or after August
1, 2016 is 2.000 – 2.299
•
Division I GPA required to be eligible for competition on or after August 1, 2016
is 2.300
•
The Division II GPA requirement is a minimum of 2.000.

7. National Letter of Intent
•
635 NCAA Division I and I institutions are members of the National Letter
of Intent (NLI)
•
Non NLI members include Ivy League Schools, Service
Academies, Division III and NAIA institutions, preparatory schools and
junior colleges
•
All members of the NLI program are required to offer athletics
scholarships
•
The NLI is a binding agreement between a prospective student-athlete
and an NLI member institution
•
Prospective student-athlete agrees to attend the institution full-time for
one (1) academic year (two semesters or three quarters)
•
Institution agrees to provide athletic financial aid for one academic year
(two semesters or three quarters)

8. National Letter of Intent
•
Approximately40,000 prospective student athletes sign NLI’s to attend NCAA
Division I or II institutions
•
Full scholarships can not exceed tuition and fees, room and board, and
required course-related books. Most athletic scholarships only cover a
portion of those costs
•
A prospective student athlete signs an NLI with an institution, not with a
coach. If the coach leaves, the prospect is still bound by the provisions of
the NLI
•
Basic penalty for not fulfilling the NLI agreement: Serve one (1) year in
residence (full-time two semesters or three quarters) at the next NLI member
institution and lose one season of competition in all sports.

9. What is PrepTalk?
PrepTalk is a new virtual webcasting tool designed for the
college admission process. Through PrepTalk, colleges
can communicate with prospective students in a live
setting.
Why was PrepTalk created?
 On average, colleges visit 500 high schools a year, yet there are 27,000+ high schools
in the United States
 75% of students would speak with a college representative via webcam, but currently
only4% have done so.
 A college education is the second largest investment a family will make (next to a
home), but its often difficult for parents to get direct interaction with college reps
 Demonstrated interest is an increasingly important factor – more than 50% of colleges
rank it as being of considerable or moderate importance in the decision making
process
How do I learn more about PrepTalk events?
Visit www.preptalk.tv to learn more about participating colleges and upcoming
webcasts on PrepTalk!