Athletics in College (NCAA)

NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association)Schools that are members of the NCAA participate in one of three divisions; I, II or III. These divisions are based on size of school, number of sports available, and the level of competition. Athletes may be recruited by colleges, but usually, the student initiates interest in an athletic program. Talk to your coach about the possibility of playing at the college level.

To play for Division I or II schools, you must register with the NCAA online at the beginning of your junior year at the NCAA Eligibility Center.  Follow the instructions to register and see your counselor if you have questions about the process.  You will need Niwot’s CEEB code: 060937, a credit card to pay the application fee, and a strong knowledge of your coursework at Niwot High School.
You will need to print the confirmation page your finished application and bring it to your counselor.  In addition to the confirmation page, you will also need to bring $2 for the transcript fee, and a completed transcript form (available in the Counseling Office) to send your transcript out at the end of your junior year. The NCAA will only accept official transcripts sent from Niwot High School (no printed or faxed copies).

Make sure you speak with your counselor to make sure you are taking NCAA approved core classes, as not all Niwot courses are approved by NCAA.
To play for Division III schools, your application will go directly through the school.

NCAA 2016 Eligibility Brochure

Division I Changes (effective August 1, 2016)
1. The minimum required core-courses grade-point average (GPA) is increasing from 2.00 to 2.30
2. Ten of the 16 required core courses must be completed before the beginning of a student-athlete’s seventh semester.  Seven of those 10 courses must be English, math or natural/physical science.  Once a student-athlete begins their seventh semester, they may not repeat or replace any of those 10 courses. 

Information regarding the redesigned SAT:

The NCAA understands that some prospective student-athletes in the classes of 2016 and beyond will take the current SAT before March 2016 and then take the redesigned SAT later. The NCAA encourages prospective student-athletes to send all scores to the NCAA Eligibility Center. Because the redesigned SAT varies in design and measures different academic constructs than the current SAT, a numerical score on one test may not be equivalent to the same numerical score on the other. The NCAA Eligibility Center will not combine (“superscore”) section scores across the current and redesigned SAT when determining initial-eligibility. The NCAA Eligibility Center will combine section scores only within the same versions of the test to provide the best result for the student. The NCAA will continue to work closely with the College Board for appropriate guidance. Please reference the College Board website for more information: https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/

Niwot High School