NCAA and NFHS Team Up for Eligibility Center Course
The NCAA Eligibility Center and the National Federation of High School Associations have created a free online course for high school coaches about the Eligibility Center and the NCAA’s initial eligibility rules. Topics include:
- School selection
- Academic requirements
- Amateurism rules
I took the course and found it to be a good overview of the NCAA’s initial eligibility requirements. It is a bit fast paced and could use more explanation of the workings of the Eligibility Center though. I even learned something I hadn’t noticed before, the lower requirements for early academic qualifiers which start in 2016.
Even though it is directed at high school coaches, anyone involved with college athletics, including prospects, parents, college coaches, media, and administrators should go through the course either as an introduction or a refresher, which takes about 30-45 minutes. One quibble though: prospects who also fail to meet the new, higher sliding scale can be certified as academic redshirts. The video makes it sound like only the rule requiring 10 courses before the seventh semester matters for that certification.