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Academic eligibility, in plain English
Academic Eligibility5 min read
The core rules every family should know before junior year.
To play college football at the Division I or II level, athletes register with the NCAA Eligibility Center, complete a sliding scale of core courses, and maintain a minimum GPA in those courses. The exact numbers shift; the principles do not.
Three habits to build by sophomore year. One: confirm your high school's core-course list with the NCAA. Two: track core GPA separately from overall GPA — they are not the same number. Three: register with the Eligibility Center the summer before junior year, not the spring of senior year.
When in doubt, talk to your school's counselor and the NCAA Eligibility Center directly. This is one place where guessing costs scholarships.