College Athletic Opportunities
NJCAA
(National Junior College Athletic Association)
440 Institutions
EX: College of Lake County
Have to meet academic admission requirements
May offer athletic scholarships depending on sport
View an interactive map and breakdown of each sport, state and division.
Some do offer on-campus housing!
www.njcaa.org
NJCAA 26 Sports and 3 Divisions
• Men’s Baseball
• Men’s Basketball
• Women’s Basketball
• Men’s Bowling
• Women’s Bowling
• Men’s Cross Country
• Women’s Cross Country
• Men’s Football
• Men’s Golf
• Women’s Golf
• Men’s Half Marathon
• Women’s Half Marathon
• Men’s Lacrosse
• Women’s Lacrosse
• Men’s Soccer
• Women’s Soccer
• Women’s Softball
• Men’s Swimming & Diving
• Women’s Swimming &
Diving
• Men’s Tennis *Women’s Tennis *Men’s Track & Field Women’s Track & Field *Women’s Volleyball *Men’s Wrestling
College Athletic Opportunities
NAIA
(National Association of Interscholastic Athletics)Nearly 250 Institutions
Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais, IL.
(Chicago Bears Training Camp)
Has their own NAIA Eligibility Center; specific admission criteria; separate from the NCAA Eligibility Center
Can offer athletic and academic scholarships per sport depending on qualifications
www.naia.org
25 NAIA Men’s & Women’s Sports
Fall Sports• Women’s Cross Country
• Men’s Cross Country
• Football
• Women’s Soccer
• Men’s Soccer
• Women’s Volleyball
• Men’s Competitive Cheer and Dance
• Women’s Competitive Cheer and Dance
Winter Sports• Men’s D1 Basketball
• Men’s D2 Basketball
• Women’s D1 Basketball
• Women’s D2 Basketball
• Men’s Indoor Track & Field
• Women’s Indoor Track & Field
• Men’s Swimming & Diving
• Women’s Swimming & Diving
• Men’s Wrestling
Spring Sports
Baseball
Men’s Golf
Women’s Golf
Men’s Outdoor Track &
Field
Women’s Outdoor Track &
Field
Softball
Men’s Tennis
Women’s Tennis
NAIA Invitational & Emerging Sports
Invitational Sports(Minimum of 25 NAIA Schools)
• Men’s Lacrosse
• Women’s Lacrosse
• Men’s Volleyball
Emerging Sports (Minimum of 15 NAIA schools)
• Men’s Bowling
• Women’s Bowling
• Women’s Wrestling
Invitational and Emerging sports
are those in the process of
becoming National
Championship sports and are
offered by a minimum of 15
NAIA schools as a varsity sport.
**Invitational Sports host their
own Championship every year.
**Invitational schools do not
receive NAIA Scholarships.
However each institution can
provide substantial financial aid
for their athletes, just not termed
“athletic scholarship.”
If interested in NAIA
sports, register at the
beginning of your
sophomore or junior year.
In your packet (p. 7)
High School Student Registration Checklist
Visit www.playnaia.org
Pay $80.00 fee
Complete profile
Receive a 2.0 cumulative GPA and a
minimum of 18 ACT Composite or 860 on SAT
score
Send WTHS transcript to NAIA Eligibility Center
Send ACT score to 9876
After junior year, in the NAIA Connections
service, create a sports resume to send to
five schools.
College Athletic Opportunities
National Collegiate Athletic Association
www.ncaa.org Three Divisions:
Division I (347 Institutions)…ex: Loyola University Chicago, Illinois State, University of Illinois
Can offer athletic and academic scholarships depending on sport & qualifications
Student-Athlete must register for the NCAA Eligibility Center and meet the university’s admission criteria
Division II (309 Institutions)…ex: Lewis University, University of Wisconsin-Parkside, University of Illinois-Springfield, McKendree University, Quincy University
Can offer athletic and academic scholarships depending on sport & qualifications
Student-Athlete must register for the NCAA Eligibility Center and meet the university’s admission criteria
Division III (442 Institutions)…ex: Lake Forest College, Elmhurst College, Carthage College
Can offer academic scholarships/grants only depending on qualifications
Student-Athlete DOES NOT have to register for the NCAA Eligibility Center, but must meet the university’s admission criteria
NCAA Sports and Seasons
NCAA Eligibility Center Registration
If interested in
NCAA DI or DII
sports, register for
a certification
account at the
beginning of your
sophomore or
junior year. This is
a one time, non-
refundable
$80.00 fee.
www.eligibilitycenter.org
Click here to
register for
your NCAA
account.
FREE!!!!!!!
Additional NCAA D1 Resources in your Packet
To calculate ACT Sum,
add together your
Math, Science, Reading
and English ACT highest
sub scores. To calculate
SAT Sum, add together
your Reading and Math
sub scores. To be D1
eligible, need to get at
least a 2.3 core course
GPA and 19 on each
ACT subtest…total of 75.
Or at least a 2.3 and 450
on each SAT
subtest…total of 900.
On pages 9-10
NCAA Division I programs
Recruiting Process—in an ideal world!
Coaches identify talented athletes
Coaches “date” the player...exchange LOTS of communication
Player likes the coach and wants to play for him/her
Player completes Eligibility Center process
Player makes a commitment to attend and signs a National Letter of
Intent
Student-athlete is awarded an athletic scholarship
Student enrolls at the university!
NCAA Division I programs
Recruiting Process—in the real world!
Mass mailings, beginning even in grade 9
Communications to all-conference and all-state athletes
Once personal visits can begin, a coach can make the athlete feel like they are the “golden child”
All the recruiting attention can stop in an instant:
Once another (better) athlete signs
Once an injury occurs
Once the Eligibility Center deems the athlete ineligible
Once they find inappropriate content or images on your social media
Player completes Eligibility Center process
Player makes a commitment to attend and signs a National Letter of Intent
Student-athlete is awarded an athletic scholarship
Student enrolls at the university!
Athletic Years of Eligibility
Five years to complete four years of competition
Starts from the date of initial full-time enrollment at any
athletic institution
Academic Redshirts: No competition while representing the
institution during the academic year
Medical Redshirts: Limited competition in the first half of a
playing season prior to a season ending injury.
Additional NCAA D2 Resources in your Packet
To be DII
eligible,
students
need a 2.2
core course
GPA and 18
ACT on each
subtest (ACT
Sum total of
70) or 420 on
the Reading
and Math SAT
subtests (total
840).
On pages 11-12
Handling Coach Contact
NCAA Recruiting Calendar (www.ncaa.org), then click on Division I, then
click on Recruiting.
D1 coaches are limited with amount and type of contact
Contact period (coach can watch you play, you can visit campus & talk to the coach, coach can fully communicate with you face-to-face, phone, email, letter)
Quiet period (same as contact period, except coach cannot come out to watch you play)
Dead period (Coaches may only write or telephone an athlete)
If a coach offers you a Verbal Commitment
Not-binding, not written offer
Coaches can offer early in your high school career (sophomore year)
If you accept the verbal commitment, you are “promising” to play at the institution
High School Athletes can
contact a coach at ANY
time!
Sample Email on page 19!
Recruiting Contact
NCAA Division III Programs
DIII sports are not “glorified intramurals”
Coaches can “slot” student athletes for their teams, so
they may have a voice in admissions
Pressure exists for students to apply early
Financial aid inconsistencies…i.e. “leadership
scholarship”
Club Sports at the College Level
Typically run by senior college students, not coaches.
Some sports will be run be trained coaches, depends on
sport/school
No scholarships
Student travels with team in cars/vans
Fundraises to off-set expenses, otherwise student-athletes pay
for hotel expenses, travel costs, uniforms, etc…
Competition is against quality opponents
Men’s Varsity Athletic Scholarship Limits
Turn to
page 13 in
your
packet.
Women’s
Varsity
Athletic
Scholarship
Limits
To become an Eligible College
Athlete…Freshman and Sophomores
Should: Start planning now by working hard to earn the best grades possible.
Take approved NCAA courses as listed in the curriculum guide or on the NCAA Eligibility Center’s website under “Resources.”
If you fall behind, use summer school sessions before your senior year to catch up.
Stay in shape! Watch what you eat! 80% food in-take, 20% exercise dictates body shape and strength.
Begin to develop a sports resume (sample in packet on page 20)
Attend exposure camps, combines, clinics, etc… at universities you are interested in. Do campus visits with the admission office while visiting colleges for your sport.
Realistically analyze your academic skills and athletic ability to be matched at the correct collegiate institution.
Big fish in a little pond, or a little fish in a big pond? Source: http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/eligibility_center/Your_Path_Presentation_for_Student-Athletes.pdf
To become an Eligible College Athlete…
Junior Year Keep your grades up!
Stay in shape! Eat right!
Attend exposure camps, combines, clinics, etc… at universities you are interested in.
Take the ACT/SAT test multiple times, send in your score each time (NCAA code: 9999 or NAIA code: 9876)
NCAA Super Scores!
Unofficially or Officially (if applicable) visit campuses,
10 Unofficial Visits are ideal throughout high school career (ex: 2 Fr yr + 4 So yr + 4 Jr yr)
5 Official Visits are allowed throughout high school career for D1, unlimited for D2 **Bring transcript/test scores on the official visits
Request your Official Transcript in Naviance at the end of your junior year…let your counselor know your intentions.
To become an Eligible College Athlete…
Senior Year Keep your grades up!
Stay in shape! Eat right!
Retake the ACT/SAT if necessary
Fill out college applications between Sept 1-Nov 1
NCAA D1 or D2, fill out the Amateurism Questionnaire
For NCAA D1, D2, sign the National Letter of Intent
Binding Contract with the College/University for one year of athletic competition
Request your official transcript to be sent to the Eligibility Center at the end of
your senior year
Please let your
Head Coach and our Athletic Director
know when you are
planning to or have
officially signed so
you can be
recognized!
In your packet (p. 15-16)…Helpful four
year timeline
NCAA D1/D2 Initial Eligibility
Process Flow Chart (p. 8)
Keep in mind…Athletic Eligibility is Step 1…the Athlete
still needs to apply for admission to the college.
On
page
14
NavianceColleges Super Match College SearchNaviance Log-in Flyer on page 21
Still have questions?
Contact your high school and club/travel coach
Contact your counselor, Mrs. McGahan, or Ms. Ecklund
Use Naviance (Super Match College Search) or Big Future
(collegeboard.org) to assist in the search process!
Visit the CCC during your lunch/study hall period to ask questions.
Contact current college student-athletes or coaches
Explore the NCAA College-Bound Student-Athlete Guide on
the ncaa.org website or the NAIA College-Bound Guide
Good luck with your journey!
Carri McGahan
Post-Secondary Counselor, O’Plaine Campus
WTHS Graduate
Former NAIA Softball Student-Athlete, Saint Xavier University
847-599-4532
Panel for students and parents
• Micah Jones: (Class of 2018) who has signed with the University of Notre Dame on their Football Team (NCAA D1)
• Andy Swedberg: Father of Claire Swedberg (Class of 2018) who has signed with Pennsylvania State University on their Softball Team (NCAA D1)
• Kelly Beck: (Class of 2018) who has signed with the University of Wisconsin-Stout on their Softball Team (NCAA D3)
• Devin Caesar: (Class of 2018) who has signed with St. Ambrose University on their Lacrosse Team
• Nic Scandrett: Athletic Director at the College of Lake County (NJCAA)
• Nate Brill: WTHS Grad & Offensive Assistant Football Coach at Robert Morris University (NAIA)
• Chris Barker: Assistant Director of Athletics at Carthage College (NCAA D3)
• Veronica Farmer: Assistant Director of Compliance at Northwestern University (NCAA D1)