What is an NCAA Eligibility Number?
High school student-athletes who plan to play college sports at the NCAA Division I or NCAA Division II level must obtain an NCAA Eligibility Number. This number confirms that you have met all academic requirements while maintaining your amateur status, making you eligible to compete in NCAA sports come freshman year
Starting with the 2026-2027 academic year, all student-athletes enrolling in a Division III college or university are also required to obtain an NCAA ID number. For Division III student-athletes, this ID is mandatory for reporting graduation rate information, to reduce the burden of using NCAA online compliance forms, and to streamline the NCAA Transfer Portal process for DIII student-athletes.
How Do I Register for an NCAA Eligibility Number?
Registration generally takes 30 to 45 minutes to complete, and likely less if you are just creating the profile page as a future DIII student-athlete. Before registering at eligibilitycenter.org, ensure that you have:
- Valid student email address: Use an address you will have access to after high school.
- Education History: List all secondary schools attended.
- Sports Participation History: Provide details on teams you have played with and events in which you have particiapted.
- Payment:
- DI & DII: $110.00 for U.S./Canada; $170.00 for international.
- DIII (Domestic): Creating a Profile Page Account is free and provides the required NCAA ID.
- DIII (International): Must register for an Athletics Certification Account (approx. $75) to receive final certification before competing at the college level.
As of January 2023, submitting your standardized test scores for your NCAA Eligibility Number is not required.
What Academic Standards Must Be Met to Fulfill NCAA Eligibility Requirements?
Academic requirements differ slightly across the divisions, and core courses must be completed between ninth grade and graduation.
- NCAA Division I: You must complete 16 core courses while maintaining a minimum 2.3 GPA. These core courses consist of:
- Four years of English
- Two years of social science
- Two years of science
- Three years of math
- One additional year of English, math or science
- Four additional years of math, science, English, social science, non-doctrinal religion/philosophy or world language
- NCAA Division II: You must complete 16 core courses while maintaining a minimum 2.2 GPA. These core courses consist of:
- Four years of English
- Two years of science
- Two years of social science
- Three years of math
- One additional year of English, math or science
- Four additional years of math, science, English, social science, non-doctrinal religion/philosophy or world language
- NCAA Division III: While there are no specific NCAA-mandated academic standards (schools set their own), you must obtain an NCAA ID number for the 2026-2027 year. Domestic students should register for a free Profile Page account to receive this ID.
How do I Request my Final Amateurism Certification?
Before enrolling at a NCAA Division I or Division II school, you must request your Final Amateurism Certification so the Eligibility Center can process your final decision.
- Log in to your account at eligibilitycenter.org and view your dashboard.
- Ensure your "Account Creation" circle is complete and all sports-participation questions are up-to-date.
- Select the green "Submit Request Now" button in the third box on your dashboard.
- Choose each sport for which you want to request final certification
What to Request:
- Fall Enrollment (DI/DII/International DIII): On or after April 1 before your your first semester of college.
- Winter/Spring Enrollment (DI/DII/International DIII): On or after October 1 before your first semester of college.
When Should I Register for an NCAA Eligibility Number?
If you aspire to play at the Division I or Division II level, you should create your account at the end of your sophomore year. The sooner you register, the less you will worry about later in your college recruiting process! If you are competing at the NCAA DIII level and have already committed, make sure to complete the steps to receive an NCAA ID before you arrive on campus for your freshman year to ensure your eligibility for the 2026-2027 season.