student athletes

interesting in playing in the ncaa or naia at college?

NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association)

High School Timeline (To Do List for 9th through 12th grades)

Divisions within NCAA (Division 1, 2, 3)

College Bound Student Athlete Guide

Eligibility Center (GPA & Test Score Requirements) - *Students are encourage to register and create their profile account as early as 9th grade year.

NAIA (National Athletic Intercollegiate Association)

Early Decision & Meeting Freshman College Requirements

Guide for the College Bound Student Athlete

Differences between NAIA & NCAA (a more focused NAIA article describing the major key differences)

Student Athlete Timeline to prepare for Recruitment

Here is a basic athletic recruitment timeline & Differences between "official" and "unofficial" visits!

Junior year:

• Compose and revise your college list at the beginning of the year. It’s important to remember that Division 3 schools do not offer athletic scholarships, so if you’re thinking about being recruited for the financial incentives, prepare your list accordingly.

• Research the performance of your sport at each college or university you’d like to consider. Some sports such as swimming and track are time-based and it’s easy to get a solid grasp on how competitive you’d be at each school. Team sports such as basketball, football, soccer and lacrosse are much more nuanced. Contact coaches at each school before Thanksgiving. Ask your coach to contact each the coaches as well.

• Make “unofficial” visits.

• Prepare and send a sports/academic/extracurricular resume.

• Prepare and send a “highlights” video to each coach.

• Follow up with the coach with your stats, schedules, etc.

• Register with the NCAA Clearinghouse in May.

• Send your final junior year transcript.

Summer before senior year/senior year

• Participate in camps and showcases during the summer.

• Make “official” visits as a senior

• Stay in touch with coaches and follow through on all requests for materials

• Request timelines and adhere to all deadlines

Official vs Unofficial Visits (by you!)

High school athletes interested in playing in college need to understand some basic principles. Visits are specifically defined as “official” and “unofficial.” 

Official visits are paid for by the institution. According to NCAA rules and regulations, these are not allowed before a prospective student-athlete becomes a senior in high school. It’s also important to note that student-athletes are limited to one “official” visit per institution and a total of five overall. The rules also state that the visit cannot last more than 48 hours and that the student must already have registered with the NCAA Eligibility Center, and have had their test scores and high school transcripts sent to the college or university.

An unofficial visit is when a student-athlete and any accompanying family members choose to visit a college or university and they are not reimbursed by the institution. Prospective student-athletes are allowed to make as many of these visits as they like during their sophomore, junior and senior years. A typical “unofficial” visit might include a tour of the campus, and meetings with coaches and with other student-athletes. Athletic Departments may choose to arrange interviews with the Admissions Office as well.