NCSA College Athletic Scholarships Blog

The quest to find the right college for a student-athlete is a challenge that we here at the National Collegiate Scouting Association readily accept with open arms. We understand not only what it means to families to have their student-athlete comfortable and excited to be attending the university of their choice, but we also understand the passion and desire that our student-athletes have to find that particular university. We also understand how important it is for college coaches to be matched up with qualified student-athletes who will help their universities grow both academically and athletically. With this being said, we here at NCSA will do everything we can to match student-athletes with universities that we feel would be a good fit. But when it’s all said and done, it’s up to the student-athletes to visit these schools, meet these coaches and decide for themselves if they truly see themselves being members of that university for the next four years of their lives. So how does a student-athlete go about doing this? How do they put themselves in the best situation possible to meet coaches and visit schools? They should be utilizing a somewhat untapped resource and with this I would like to introduce the unofficial visit.

For those student-athletes who have seen movies like The Program, He Got Game and Blue Chips, the recruiting process might seem like a dream come true. In The Program, Darnell Jefferson is welcomed to Eastern State University by a charter bus filled with cheerleaders. NBA superstar Ray Allen plays the main character in He Got Game and is whisked away from campus to campus for weekends of fun and spoil. Several “blue chip” prospects in Blue Chips receive gifts and frequent visits from the coaching staff. One thing each and every parent, coach and student-athlete needs to know is that these are movies attempting to depict a very long and difficult process. For the majority of high-school athletes, the best way to get a feel for a school and a coach is to take advantage of the unlimited amounts of unofficial visits a recruit can take during their four years of high school.

One might ask, “What is an unofficial visit and what other kinds of visits are there?” Great question. An official visit is one where the cost of part of the visit is incurred by the school. For example, a recruit is invited to visit the campus and during their visit the school will pay for their flight, hotel room and meals. These are less common than unofficial visits and are heavily regulated in terms of how many a school is allowed to give out and how many a student-athlete can attend. The alternative is the unofficial visit, where a student athlete visits the campus on their own and pays for it themselves. Although it may be less glorious than the official visits depicted in films, it is just as effective in terms of finding a school that you would be comfortable and eager to attend. Did I mention that you can take an unlimited amount of unofficial visits? Read on…

So let’s say you are a student-athlete and this blog has inspired you to take some unofficial visits…but you don’t know how to go about it. Here is your crash course to the unofficial visit.

First, come up with a list of schools and programs that you are interested in learning more about. Basically, you want to narrow down your list to schools you would realistically like to attend and compete for. Next, pick a weekend where you know the coach of your respective sport will be on campus. Football and basketball games are very popular events for coaches to entertain recruits, so pick a weekend where there is a game such as football or basketball. Next, you want to contact the coach to let him or her know that you will be visiting that weekend. Ask if they can give you a few minutes of their time to meet and possibly answer some questions that you may have (hint, hint…come prepared with academic and athletic questions for the coach). Next, contact admissions and also make them aware of your visit. Campuses are constantly giving tours and you want to make sure you see the campus in its entirety because it will be your home for the next four years. You also want to have a main contact in the admissions department to answer any questions you may have before, during and after your unofficial visit.

So now you’ve got your game plan to schedule some unofficial visits, but what is it that coaches are looking for when a recruit comes to campus. Marc Thibeault, head coach of John Carroll University’s baseball team, explains what he is not looking for.

“I can’t tell you how many times a recruit shows up with holes in his jeans, hat backwards, earring in and really has no questions when they visit. “

Coach Thibeault looks for potential student-athletes who can carry themselves well both on and off the field. Making a good first impression when meeting coaches is essential, and your appearance is key. A great point Coach makes is the ability of the recruit to ask meaningful questions during their visit. Think of it as a job interview; when your potential employer asks if you have any questions and you say “Nope, I think we’re all good here,” they are going to take that as a lack of preparation and excitement on your part when it comes to becoming a member of their team. College coaches will view this the same way.

When asked about some good questions for recruits to ask on their visit, Coach Thibeault had a few in mind.

-What did your graduating class end up doing upon diploma?

-How many freshmen ended up playing 4 years?

-What are the years of players playing my position?

-What were the credentials of last years recruiting class?

The above questions are great things to ask coaches and by asking these questions, a recruit shows the coach that they are interested, committed and eager to contribute to the program.

The bottom line is that no one buys a car without test driving it. No one gets married without dating first and no recruit should commit to a school without visiting campus. So instead of waiting by the phone or the computer for a coach to invite you for an official visit, maximize the unlimited amount of unofficial visits you can take and put yourself out there. The recruiting process may seem less glorious than depicted in the movies, but the end result of choosing the right school is all the glory a recruit needs.

Q: Why is there no information about recruiting involving junior college players?

A: You asked for it, you got it. The first thing we’ll cover is transfer rules. This is taken from the Athletes Wanted website.

You are a transfer if…
   • You were ever enrolled full-time in a two or four year school.
   • You ever went to practice
   • You practiced or played while you were enrolled part-time

What Type of Transfer Are You?
   • Qualifier: A student-athlete who has met NCAA Eligibility requirements.
   • Partial Qualifier: A freshman who has met some of the academic requirements, but not all. They
      o Can practice
      o Can receive financial aid
      o Must sit out one year
      o DII Only, DI does NOT have partial qualifiers
   • Non-Qualifier: An S/A who has not met academic requirements.
      o Can’t practice or play
      o No financial aid for one year.
      o Three seasons of competition in Division I
      o Automatic non-qualifier if you never registered for the clearinghouse.

When do you need permission to contact?
      • If you’re now full-time in a four-year school
      • A written letter from your AD (or admin/compliance).
      • You may write to any NCAA college saying that you’re interested in transferring, but the new coach must not discuss transferring with you unless they have received written permission from your current school.
      • If your current school will not give you a written permission to contact, you will have to sit out a year or appeal.

When DON’T you need permission? 
   • You are attending a NJCAA, NCCAA school. 
   • DIII to DIII school. In which case you use a “Self Release” to allow the second school to contact you about transferring.
      o Sample self-release at ncaa.org 

Junior College Transfer
   • If you are a two-year college transfer, you do not need a release.
   • You may be required to get your degree in some cases or else you will have to sit out a year (academic year in residence).

I want to transfer
   • Refer to the NCAA transfer guide and the FAQ on the NCAA site. Immediately call the NCAA (317-917-6222) to determine your eligibility status and familiarize yourself with the NCAA rules.
   • Determine if you are eligible
      o Did you fulfill NLI requirements?
      o Are you academically in good standing?
      o Are you a qualifier, partial qualifier, non-qualifier?
   • Determine what release forms you need to get.
      o Do you have written permission to contact?
      o Coaches are required to have a transfer release in hand BEFORE speaking to a student-athlete from a four year college (scholarship or not).
      o If you do not have a release the interested coach needs to inform their Compliance Officer and one will be sent to the your current institution requesting permission to contact.

Important Recruiting Reminder

With the weather heating up and school winding down, don’t forget to register with the NCAA Eligibility Center.

Clearance through the eligibility center is mandatory in order to compete in Division I or Division II athletics.

Seniors – NCAA clearance is not actually complete until all required high school courses are taken. Your high school will need to send your final transcripts into the Eligibility Center (formerly known as the NCAA Clearinghouse). Be sure to speak with your guidance counselor about this before he/she leaves for the summer. If you have not done so already, as a final step you will need to request final amateur certification by signing the 10.1 statement. Remember to log back in to your account and finalize your amateurism questionnaire before you enroll in college. I suggest that you take care of this right away, so you do not forget over the summer.

Juniors – If you have not done so already, you must complete your registration at the end of junior year. Your guidance counselor will need to send your transcripts once you have completed six high school semesters, so make sure to discuss this before he/she leaves for summer vacation! 

Underclassmen – Review your high school course load to make sure you are on track to successfully complete the 16 required core courses.

 Former Recruiting Coordinator at Notre Dame and University of Michigan and current NCSA Speaker, Bob Chmiel, recently presented a Recruiting 101 Seminar at Owensboro High School in Kentucky.  Senior Guidance Counselor from Owensboro, Jane Prince, played a key role in bringing Coach Chmiel to educate families and student athletes. 

Aside from her role as Senior Guidance Counselor and high school coach, Jane is the mother of a current collegiate athlete and wife of a former collegiate athlete.  The bottom line is that Jane has experienced recruiting from several perspectives.  NCSA caught up with Jane to discuss the importance of recruiting education.

NCSA: What motivated Owensboro to bring in an expert to educate families about the recruiting process?  Why NCSA and Coach Chmiel?

We will be working with NSCA this January to help my son achieve his goal of playing college football.  He is currently a sophomore in high school.  I’m also a Senior Guidance Counselor at Owensboro High School in Kentucky and coached high school tennis and swimming.  Over the years, I worked with many high school athletes.  My husband is the Head football coach at OHS and played college football at The University of Kentucky. My daughter plays college basketball at Georgetown College (NAIA).

Five years ago, another teacher and I formed a program at this high school to prepare high school athletes to become college athletes and I thought the NCSA presentation would be an excellent opportunity for parents to hear information about the college recruiting process from an outside source.  We were just lucky that our guest speaker was Coach Chmiel.  He is able to tell stories about his life experiences that get the attention of his audience and pull them in for the real message.

What was the most valuable information that Coach Chmiel passed along to families in your opinion? 

He had some excellent suggestions like:

• Don’t send film to a college without the specific name of the coach that you are sending it to…..unidentified film goes in the trash”
• Separate yourself from problems or problem people

He also talked about three important aspects of an athlete necessary to be successful: (1) Strong academics, (2) good character, and (3) always give 110 % on every play and in all preparations to play.

What are some of the most common misconceptions about the recruiting process that families have?

Most families wrongly believe several basic concepts:

(1) That most athletes are discovered like a Hollywood movie star for their scholarship

(2) DI level of play is the only one that provides financial assistance

(3) It is the high school coaches’ responsibility to get their athlete a scholarship

(4) Academics really are not that important if they are talented enough athletically

(5) Every scholarship, in every sport is a full-ride.

What type of advice would you give families who are going through the process for the first time as not only a guidance counselor, but also a mother and wife of collegiate student athletes?

• Start preparing your potential student/athlete in the 9^th grade by explaining the core GPA and the NCAA process. Register at the beginning of their junior year with the NCAA Eligibility Center. Keep constant tabs on their transcript and daily grades.

• Build a resume of sports accomplishments and awards as well as community service and inter-scholastic activities and honors. Save it in your computer and update it with everything they have accomplished each month. This resume should be sent to college coaches. This allows them to see the student/athlete as a person that is active and has good character.

• Choose a few good sports photos to have on hand to send with your resume and other sports related scholarships that they may apply for, such as state sportsmanship scholarships for example.

• Form good relationships with high school coaches; remember they will give the final recommendation.

• Learn how to speak to the media; you are representing your family, community, school and yourself. Complement your teammates and coaches in interviews; you didn’t get there on your own.

• Play other sports in high school, it’s good for you and makes you a more appealing athlete.

• Fill out all sports questionnaires, even to schools you may not attend. It’s a small world and coaches change jobs every day and may remember you.

• God gave you a certain body size and ability. You may be of size for the big time and you may not. Be thankful for whatever opportunities may come your way at any level whether it is DI, II, III, NAIA or Jr. College.

I really could go on and on…….there is so much for them to know……

Would you encourage other high schools to provide recruiting education similar to the seminar at Owensboro?  If so, why?

Yes, it was very helpful to hear Coach Chmiel.  He didn’t try to force the NCSA on his audience. He simply gave his educational message about the recruiting process and informed people about the NCSA at the end.  I think this made people more interested in the NCSA material. Parents are really misinformed about athletic scholarship and need a lot of help in the process.

 If you would like to learn more about potentially scheduling a Recruiting 101 Seminar, click here.

The NCAA Eligibility Center has recently adopted a new policy for high school student-athletes who have demonstrated a high level of academic achievement during their first six semesters of high school. Qualified student-athletes will receive an early certification waiver prior to high school graduation.

In order to qualify for an early certification waiver a student must meet the following criteria:

A minimum SAT (math and critical reading) score of 1000 or minimum sum score of 85 on the ACT;

For Division I:  Core-course GPA of 3.0 or higher in a minimum of 13 core courses:

• 3 English;
• 2 Math;
• 2 Science; and
• 6 additional core courses.

For Division II:  Core-course GPA of 3.0 or higher in a minimum of 12 core courses:

• 3 English;
• 2 Math;
• 2 Science; and
• 5 additional core courses.

During their senior year, the student-athlete will receive confirmation that he/she has met the academic certification requirements.

If you have any questions about early certification you may contact the NCAA Eligibility Center directly at 877-262-1492.

 I never like getting a phone call from a student-athlete telling me they want to transfer to another school. Transferring is another way of a student-athlete telling me they made a bad decision. They didn’t do their home work on a school, coaching staff, or the roster. In today’s recruiting, coaches are taught to sell their program to the best of their ability. A huge selling point is “Your son/daughter has a great chance to play early!” The reality is everyone on the team has a great chance to play early and it’s the coach’s job to determine who is going to play by the end of the first practice.If I could give any of our student-athlete’s advice on playing at the next level, it would be to understand there is competition everywhere. It is on you to find out where the best fit is both academically and athletically. Here are some tips for our current college athletes looking into transferring.

• Don’t be discouraged if you’re not playing

Sometimes, you have to wait your time to get on the field. Just remember, you’re only a play away from getting out there. Work hard on the practice field and prove to the staff you’re the one who is supposed to be playing.

• Transferring is not an easy task

There will be many hoops in the administration process that you have to jump through. Release forms, paperwork, and un-easy conversations. You must learn the transfer and eligibility rules-for the NCAA, the conference and the new school you plan to join.

• Sitting out due to transfer rules

If you are set on transferring and feel it’s the absolute right thing to do, then understand you have to play by the rules. Due to NCAA rules, you cannot talk to another school until you have received written permission from your current school. There are several key factors which determine when you will be eligible.

1. If you are a qualifier, partial qualifier or nonqualifier.
2. If you are now in a two-year or a four year college
3. Whether you want to go to a Division 1,2,or, 3 school
4. Which sport you play (football, basketball, additional rules apply)
5. Whether you meet academic rules for eligibility

Before you make this decision we want you to understand the situation and to do your research. Focus not only on sports but education as well. Transferring can not only shorten your playing clock, but also affect the amount of time it will take for you to earn your degree. To learn more about transferring see the NCAA guidebook on transferring at http://www.ncaa.org/. We at NCSA want our student-athletes to have a great college experience. The goal is to receive a great education and make a considerable contribution at the next level. Please let NCSA help you with any questions on transferring.

 a former D1 college football recruiting coordinator’s thoughts on what NCSA can do for every college football (all sports) coaches.

 ”If I knew then what I know now” my college coaching staffs would have had more success recruiting!

First, my background.

I capped off my days as a center for the Fighting Illini by playing in the Blue Gray All Star Game, and then signed with the Oakland Raiders. It’s been over 30 years since taking off my cleats and picking up a whistle joining coaching staffs at Illinois, UNLV, UCLA and Minnesota, many of these years as the recruiting coordinator. During that time I have been a part of a #1 ranked recruiting class, several top 5 classes and several more top 25 ranked classes in the country.

I’ve also been hired by nearly 40 D1 colleges to evaluate prospects for them.

Second, why am I writing this?

There is so much more to the recruiting process than getting your name on internet sites.

College coaches get hundreds of names and stats from the internet. What he needs to do is narrow that list of names down to a manageable working list of prospects that have the academic, athletic and social skills that he wants to recruit.

Third, how long is the recruiting process, really?

The recruiting process starts when a prospect gets the first letter from a school and ends when the prospect shows up for the first practice of the school he signed with.

Fourth, why is the recruiting process this long?

This is how long it takes the college coach to get the player on the field.

Once a coach decides the student athlete can play for his university (after a number of evaluations):

• the coach has to see if the athlete can qualify
• send many recruiting letters
• make several more evaluations (academic and athletic) of the prospect
• make a lot of phone calls
• get the prospect’s unofficial transcript and SAT/ACT scores to compliance or admissions at his/her school
• see that the prospect has registered with the clearinghouse
• check to see if the prospect will be admitted by the university
• make in person contacts
• set an official visit
• host the student athlete on the official visit
• sign a National Letter of Intent (NLI)
• financial aid paperwork
• admissions paperwork
• housing paperwork
• make sure the athlete is following the summer workout program
• help the student athlete with a summer job or get into summer school or maybe the summer “bridge program”
• have the student athlete report for orientation
• receive the final transcript
• be sure the prospect is certified eligible by the clearinghouse
• other paperwork the university needs before the player can step on the field (drug testing policy, physical, student conduct, etc.)

After all this a prospect can practice.

Wouldn’t it be nice to have, what college coaches refer to as the third party, experts like NCSA be available to advise you through the recruiting process?

As a former recruiting coordinator at several universities, “if I knew then what I know now” I’d love the help NCSA has to offer

I’ve just joined NCSA as a “Recruiting Expert” and am responsible for our relationship with college football programs. I will let every college I speak with know about our support of the student athlete’s family and how we can make the “recruiting process” work smoothly!

As I’m sure all of the staff at NCSA does.

Contact NCSA today for expert guidance!!

It doesn’t matter how good you are. If you don’t get past the NCAA Eligibility Center (formerly known as the NCAA Clearinghouse), you’re not playing anywhere. Case in point, incoming Minnesota freshman quarterback MarQueis Gray. From a Myron Medcalf article in Minneapolis Star-Tribune:

“MarQueis Gray is not with us at this time, due to an NCAA Eligibility Center [formerly the NCAA Clearinghouse] issue,” Gophers coach Tim Brewster said in a statement. “We’re hopeful, for MarQueis’ sake, that this issue will be resolved.”

You can register online at any time, though the Eligibility Center recommends you do so your junior year. For Division I and II, the Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete provides useful information regarding the high school courses you must complete, the minimum grade-point average for participation, as well as what your test scores must be at.

This further emphasizes the reason to start the recruiting process early – so you can plan your coursework according to what the NCAA requires to participate in intercollegiate athletics. I talked to a father yesterday whose son needs to take an extra semester of math (you need to take 3 years worth if you want to play Div. I) because he didn’t realize he needed that much for the NCAA. As a result, rather than enjoying the summer before college, he has to take summer school.

Need I say more?