Are you interested in being a student-athlete in college?
It is important to understand the academic requirements for participating in athletics at the college-level, as well as the opportunities available at the different levels of college athletics.
Below is information about the 3 primary governing bodies (levels) of college athletics: NCAA, NAIA, and NJCAA.
In addition, please review the CoreCourseGPA resource provided by Smyrna High School, at no cost to our students.
NCAA - National Collegiate Athletic Association
What is the NCAA?
-The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a member-led organization dedicated to the well-being and lifelong success of college athletes.
-The NCAA's three divisions were created in 1973 to align like-minded campuses in the areas of philosophy, competition, and opportunity.
-The three Divisions are: Division I, Division II, and Division III.
-College-bound students who want to compete at a Division I or Division II school must meet standards set by the NCAA. For Division III, athletes must meet admission standards set by the school.
NCAA Eligibility:
College-bound student-athletes preparing to enroll in a Division I or II school need to register with the NCAA Eligibility Center to ensure they have met academic & amateurism standards. Eligibility standards and registration information can be found here.
NCAA Core Courses:
Students and parents should refer to the NCAA list of approved Core Courses for Smyrna High School when selecting high school courses. Only courses approved by the NCAA will be included in a student's core GPA. Information about Core Courses and a list of Smyrna High School's approved courses can be found on the NCAA Eligibility Center Core Course page.
Additional NCAA Resources:
2023-2024 Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete
Division I Eligibility Reference Sheet
Division II Eligibility Reference Sheet
Creating an NCAA Account: Website Registration Checklist
NAIA - National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
NAIA Website
Information for High School Students
NJCAA - National Junior College Athletic Association
The NJCAA is a governing body for two-year college and junior colleges in the United States. It was founded in 1938 and has over 500 member schools in various sports.
There are 3 divisions within the NJCAA - Division I, Division II, Division III: Click
HERE for more information about the divisions and athletic scholarship opportunities.
CoreCourseGPA
Smyrna High School provides a FREE resource called CoreCourseGPA to help students track their academic progress towards NCAA eligibility. Information about this web-based tool as well as the code to create a free account is provided to the right in the files section. *This resource is not associated with the NCAA.
In addition to helping you track your NCAA eligibility, CoreCourse GPA provides information about the recruiting process: Click HERE for their series of 1-minute recruiting webinar videos.
Please see Mrs. Wagner in the School Counseling Office (or email jennifer.wagner@smyrna.k12.de.us) for any questions.
