IBCA E-Newsletter: NCAA Division I academic requirements for Class of 2016 and beyond

The NCAA has released an SAT/ACT sliding scale that corresponds with the increased GPA requirements for the class of 2016 and beyond. Any current high school freshman, sophomore or junior who is even remotely considering the possibility of playing a sport collegiately needs to pay attention. The wiggle room to correct academic shortcomings has been greatly reduced.

Here is a summary of the NCAA Division I academic requirements for a Full Qualifier that take effect for the class of 2016 and beyond:

The minimum core course GPA has increased from 2.00 to 2.30.
10 of the 16 core course requirements must be satisfied prior to the start of the senior year.
7 of those 10 core courses must be from English, Math and Science subsections.
Grades earned in the 10 core courses are “locked in” for the purposes of calculating the final core course GPA.
Any retakes of the first 10 core courses must be completed prior to senior year.

The NCAA also has introduced a new status for the class of 2015 – the “Academic Redshirt.” An “Academic Redshirt” may receive a scholarship and practice with his/her team, but he/she may not participate in game competition as a college freshman. Students with a GPA of 2.30 or above may achieve either “Academic Redshirt” or “Full Qualifier” status, depending on their SAT/ACT test scores. Students with a core course GPA between 2.00 and 2.29 cannot attain “Full Qualifer” status but may achieve “Academic Redshirt” status by meeting minimum sliding scale test score requirements.

The new sliding SAT/ACT scale results in significant changes in minimum test score requirements. The minimum SAT score required to compete as a college freshman increased by 180 points while the minimum ACT score increased by an average of 14 points (sum score).

Here are two examples of changes to the new sliding scale:

Example 1

Prior to 2016: 2.00 core course GPA + 1010 SAT or 86 ACT = Full Qualifier
2016 and after: 2.00 core course GPA + 1020 SAT or 86 ACT = Academic Redshirt

Example 2

Prior to 2016: 2.50 core course GPA + 820 SAT or 68 ACT = Full Qualifier
2016 and after: 2.50 core course GPA + 1000 SAT or 85 ACT = Full Qualifier

Remember, the NCAA does not include the writing component of the SAT or ACT and the ACT score is a sum score (not average) of the English, math, reading and science sections.

Finally, just because a student-athlete meets the minimum NCAA academic standards, it does not mean they will be admitted to play sports at the college of their choice. Many universities have academic standards for incoming freshman athletes that are higher than the NCAA minimum requirements.

What does all this mean? Student-athletes must start tracking courses early. A student-athlete should calculate his/her initial core course GPA at the conclusion of his/her first semester in high school and continue to do so each semester thereafter.

Now more than ever, every semester counts.

The NCAA initial eligibility sliding scale (class of 2016 and beyond)

Core GPA	SAT-R	SAT-FQ	ACT-R	ACT-FQ
4.000	400	400	37	37
3.975	400	410	37	38
3.950	400	420	37	39
3.925	400	430	37	40
3.900	400	440	37	41
3.875	400	450	37	41
3.850	400	460	37	42
3.825	400	470	37	42
3.800	400	480	37	43
3.775	400	490	37	44
3.750	400	500	37	44
3.725	400	510	37	45
3.700	400	520	37	46
3.675	400	530	37	46
3.650	400	540	37	47
3.625	400	550	37	47
3.600	400	560	37	48
3.575	400	570	37	49
3.550	400	580	37	49
3.525	410	590	38	50
3.500	420	600	39	50
3.475	430	610	40	51
3.450	440	620	41	52
3.425	450	630	41	52
3.400	460	640	42	53
3.375	470	650	42	53
3.350	480	660	43	54
3.325	490	670	44	55
3.300	500	680	44	56
3.275	510	690	45	56
3.250	520	700	46	57
3.225	530	710	46	58
3.200	540	720	47	59
3.175	550	730	47	60
3.150	560	740	48	61
3.125	570	750	49	61
3.100	580	760	49	62
3.075	590	770	50	63
3.050	600	780	50	64
3.025	610	790	51	65
3.000	620	800	52	66
2,975	630	810	52	67
2.950	640	820	53	68
2.925	650	830	53	69
2.900	660	840	54	70
2.875	670	850	55	70
2.850	680	860	56	71
2.825	690	870	56	72
2.800	700	880	57	73
2.775	710	890	58	74
2.750	720	900	59	75
2.725	730	910	60	76
2.700	740	920	61	77
2.675	750	930	61	78
2.650	760	940	62	79
2.625	770	950	63	80
2.600	780	960	64	81
2.575	790	970	65	82
2.550	800	980	66	83
2.525	810	990	67	84
2.500	820	1000	68	85
2.475	830	1010	69	86
2.450	840	1020	70	86
2.425	850	1030	70	87
2.400	860	1040	71	88
2.375	870	1050	72	89
2.350	880	1060	73	90
2.325	890	1070	74	91
2.300	900	1080	75	93
2.275	910	ineligible	76	ineligible
2.250	920	ineligible	77	ineligible
2.225	930	ineligible	78	ineligible
2.200	940	ineligible	79	ineligible
2.175	950	ineligible	80	ineligible
2.150	960	ineligible	81	ineligible
2.125	970	ineligible	82	ineligible
2.100	980	ineligible	83	ineligible
2.075	990	ineligible	84	ineligible
2.050	1000	ineligible	85	ineligible
2.025	1010	ineligible	86	ineligible
2.000	1020	ineligible	86	ineligible
SAT-R or ACT-R = Academic Redshirt SAT-FQ or ACT-FQ = Full Qualifier

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NCAA Division I academic requirements for Class of 2016 and beyond