You may notice there is a field on the SportsRecruits platform where you can enter your NCAA Eligibility Number. This number is given to you upon completion of a screening process and verifies your eligibility to compete at the NCAA Division I or II levels. As of the 2026-2027 year, DIII student-athletes will also have to obtain an NCAA ID number. You can learn more about the NCAA Eligibility Number process in this article. 

What is the NCAA Eligibility Center?

The NCAA Eligibility Center certifies prospective student-athletes for Division I and II to confirm they are eligible to play. They do this by reviewing your academic transcript to make sure you have met the academic standards and requirements. They will also be reviewed to make sure you are an amateur and have had no professional experience. 

New for 2026-2027:  Starting with the 2026-2027 academic year, all student-athletes enrolling in an NCAA DIII college or university are also required to obtain an NCAA ID number. For Division III athletes, this ID is mandatory for reporting graduate rate information, to reduce the burden of using NCAA compliance forms, and to streamline the NCAA Transfer Portal process for DIII athletes. 

How do I Register for an NCAA Eligibility Number?

Registration takes approximately 15 minutes for a profile page, and 30 to 45 minutes for certification accounts. Before registering at eligilitycenter.org, ensure you have: 

• Valid student email: Use an email address that you check regularly and that you will continue to have access to after high school.
• Student education history: Provide a list of all secondary schools and additional programs that you have attended, if necessary. 
• Sports participation history: Provide details on the teams you have played for, events you have attended, and any awards or expenses received. 
• Payment:
  • DI & DII: If you go to school in the United States or Canada, the fee is $110.00
  • DI & DII: If you are an international student, it is $170.00
  • DIII (Domestic): It is free to create a profile page account
  • DIII (International): It is $75 for an athletics certification account

The NCAA encourages you to register no later than your sophomore year if you are planning to compete at the DI or DII level. As of January 2023, submitting your standardized test scores for your NCAA Eligibility Number is not required. 

What Are the Academic Standards for Eligibility?

Academic requirements vary by division. All core courses must be completed between your grade 9 year and high school graduation. 

• NCAA DI: 16 core courses and a minimum 2.3 GPA
• NCAA DII: 16 core courses and a minimum 2.2 GPA
• NCAA DIII: While DIII schools set their own academic standards, you must have an NCAA ID to be eligible for the 2026-2027 season and beyond. 

How do I Request my Final Amateurism Certification?

Requesting Final Amateurism Certification is a critical final step for DI, DII, and international DIII student-athletes. This is not part of the initial registration process, but it will need to be completed before you can compete at the collegiate level. 

• Log in to your account at eligibilitycenter.org and view your Dashboard
• Ensure your "Account Creation" circle is complate and all of your sports participation questions are up-to-date.
• Locate the third box on your Dashboard and click the green "Submit Request Now" button
• Choose the sport (or sports) that you want to request final certification for. 
• If you are enrolling at your new school during the Fall semester, you can submit the request on or after April 1st prior to enrollment. 
• If you are enrolling at your new school in the Spring semester, you can submit the request on or after October 1st prior to enrollment. 

What is SportsRecruits?

SportsRecruits is a college recruiting website that gives prospective student-athletes the ability to communicate with any program in the country for their sport. The SportsRecruits platform was created to help these student-athletes pursue their dreams of playing at the next level while minimizing some of the stress in their unique recruiting process.

If you are interested in signing up for SportsRecruits, you can create a free profile here.