- Lubbock Independent School District
- Parents and Students: Resources
It Begins in Ninth Grade
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High school students, who desire to become college-bound student-athletes, will need to meet admissions and athletic participation requirements, whether they hope to win college admission and scholarships with their athletic ability or just want to play on a college team. Athletic participation obligations may include:
- The involvement and influence of coaches (high school and college) in the student's college search and application process
- Application timeline differences
- Academic preparation requirements include national athletic association requirements, in addition to high school graduation requirements
Starting in 9th grade, student-athletes need to research the athletic associations' academic eligibility requirements. Student-athletes should work with their coach, alpha counselor, and parents to develop a strategy for transitioning and researching a college athletic program. During the college search and application process, remember sports are not the only part of an athlete's decision. Student-athletes are not only choosing a team but a college as well and all the attributes that are a part of the college campus experience, like the location, enrollment, major, and student life. See Student-Athletes: Choosing a College.
College Athletic Associations
College intercollegiate teams are organized into associations. The three largest — NCAA, NAIA, and NJCAA — are also called conferences. These organizations set the rules regarding recruiting, eligibility requirements, and athletic scholarships for member colleges.
The NCAA members include the largest colleges.
NCAA Division I colleges are very competitive athletically, can offer full and partial athletic scholarships (partially funded by the NCAA), and have academic eligibility requirements.
NCAA Division II colleges are less competitive than Division I and have different eligibility guidelines and financial aid offerings.
NCAA Division III colleges have no academic eligibility requirements and no NCAA-funded financial aid. (However, the colleges can offer scholarships of their own.)
Core courses
Prospective Division I and II athletes need to take NCAA-specified core courses beginning in ninth grade. See NCAA Course Work Requirements for more information. Other colligate associations may require core courses for participation.
Student Athletes
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National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA)
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) headquartered in Kansas City, Mo., is a governing body of small athletics programs that are dedicated to character-driven intercollegiate athletics. For more information, please click here.
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The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a member-led organization dedicated to providing a pathway to opportunity for college athletes. For more information, please click here.
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The National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA)
The National Christian College Athletic Association, a 501(c)3 not-for-profit association, was incorporated to provide a Christian-based organization that functions uniquely as a national and international agency for the promotion of outreach and ministry, and for the maintenance, enhancement, and promotion of intercollegiate athletic competition with a Christian perspective. For more information, please click here.
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The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCCA)
The National Junior College Athletic Association, founded in 1938, is an association of community college and junior college athletic departments throughout the United States. For more information, please click here.
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The United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA)
The United States Collegiate Athletic Association is a national organization for the intercollegiate athletic programs of 81 mostly small colleges, community colleges and junior colleges, across the United States. For more information, please click here.
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College Center for Athletics