The Event
On July 20th a meeting with a representative from the National Collegiate Athletic Association will be held at the campus auditorium. The meeting will be held from 3 pm to 5 pm. The representative will give a presentation to the student-athletes and their families about the potential prospects for their career in college sports, the assistance that NCAA provides to the athletes, and the standards for eligibility. Athletes and their families will be able to gain additional information by questioning the representative after the presentation is complete.
The Organization
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a non-profit association aimed at the administration of athletes for over 1120 institutions across the United States. It is dedicated to ensuring the athletes’ well-being and the long-term success of college athletes. It operates utilizing seven core values. The first is the collegiate model of athletics which accentuates the balance between student athletics, studies, and social experiences. Integrity and sportsmanship are highly valued within the organization.
Students must pursue excellence in both academics and athletics. Another core value lies in the supporting role that athletics provides by creating a sense of community and enhancing the identity of member institutions. NCAA is focused on creating an inclusive culture that creates equal opportunities for athletes, coaches, and administrators that come from diverse backgrounds. Institutional autonomy and philosophical differences of the members are respected and do not affect the work of the organization. Finally, the presidential leadership of intercollegiate athletics is established at the campus, conference, and national levels.
Since its official formation of 1910, the organization has been awarded championships in more than 20 sports including Baseball, Football, Soccer, Ice Hockey, and various athletic challenges. The sports have been represented across three divisions with varying requirements for eligibility. The number of sports is often updated to reflect the current interest in the given sport. NCAA provides scholarships to athletes who participate in Division I and Division II, allowing a great number of students access to high-level education based on their athletic prowess. Currently, the organization includes almost half a million athletes who benefit from the actions of the organization. The organization manages programs that help student-athletes, organizes championships, and supports member legislation.
Eligibility
Initial-eligibility requirements for Division I of NCAA include 16 core-course requirements: four years of English, three years of math with Algebra 1 or higher, two years of natural/physical science, one year of additional English, math, or natural/physical science, two years of social science, and four years of additional courses in any previous areas, foreign language or comparative religion/philosophy. Student’s test scores such as the ACT and SAT must be presented based on the sliding scale outlined by the organization. For SAT scores, the best subscores from each section are used to determine the combined SAT score for initial eligibility. For ACT, the best subscores from each section determine the sum score for eligibility. The types of courses may vary depending on whether the athlete is considering competing.
Division II requirements differ from Division I in several ways. It also requires 16 core courses but they consist of: three years of English, two years of mathematics, two years of natural/physical science with one year of lab if it was offered by high school, three years of additional English, math or science, two years of social science, and four years of additional courses in any area above, foreign language or comparative religion/philosophy. Division II currently requires a minimum SAT score of 820 or an ACT sum score of 68 but from August 1, 2018, it will utilize a sliding scale. SAT scores include only critical reading and math sections, while ACT scores consist of a sum of English, mathematics, reading and science scores. Currently, minimum GPA for eligibility is 2000.