COLLEGE ATHLETIC RECRUITING: Terminology, Perspectives, Resources

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COLLEGE ATHLETIC RECRUITINGTerminology,
Perspectives, Resources

• CREATED BY
• MR. DWIGHT REPSHER, ATHLETIC DIRECTOR
• PEN ARGYL AREA HIGH SCHOOL
• (updated 8/06)

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MESSAGE FROM THE COLONIAL LEAGUE

• The information in this presentation has been
  accumulated and organized as a public service to
  the student-athletes and parents of our member
  institutions. College athletic recruiting is
  complex and ever-changing. In view of this, we
  encourage you to use this information in
  coordination with the resources cited in order to
  be the most informed consumer(s) possible. We
  hope that you find this helpful as you embark on
  your journey through the college athletic
  recruiting process.

CLICK TO PROCEED
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

• COLLEGE RECRUITING QUIZ
• MOST COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS
• WHAT ARE COLLEGE COACHES LOOKING FOR
• RECRUITING ESSENTIALS
• Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse, Home-schooled
  Students And The Clearinghouse
• Amateurism Certification Clearinghouse, National
  Letter of Intent
• Breach of the National Letter of Intent,
  Financial Aid (Scholarships), Recruiting
  Behind-a-Player
• DIVISION I OFFICIAL VISITS (rule changes)
• RECRUITING DEFINITIONS
• THE RECRUITING PROCESS DIVISIONS I II
• THE RECRUITING PROCESS DIVISION III
• APPROACHING THE PROCESS
• EVALUATING OPPORTUNITIES
• POINTS OF EMPHASIS AND ADVICE
• NAIA REGULATIONS
• GOVERNING ORGANIZATIONS
• ACADEMIC ATHLETIC WEBSITES
• RELATED NCAA PUBLICATIONS

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COLLEGE RECRUITING QUIZ

• Q How many divisions does the NCAA sponsor?
• A Three Divisions I, II, III
• Q Is the NCAA the only organization which
  governs collegiate athletics?
• A No. The NAIA (National Association of
  Intercollegiate Athletics) and the NJCAA (The
  National Junior College Athletic Association)
  also act as governing bodies over their member
  institutions.
• CLICK TO REVEAL ANSWERS

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COLLEGE RECRUITING QUIZ

• Q When can colleges send recruiting materials
  to prospects?
• A Divisions I II On or after September 1 of
  the prospects junior year.
• A Division III Are not governed by these NCAA
  rules, but typically make contact during the
  spring of the prospects junior year.
• Notes Division I football coaches are allowed
  one telephone call to potential prospects during
  the month of May of the prospects junior year,
  then not again until after September 1. Division
  I basketball coaches may make one telephone call
  per month on or after June 15 of the prospects
  sophomore year through July 31 of his/her junior
  year. Other Division I coaches may make one
  telephone call in March of the prospects junior
  year, then not again until July 1. (The rules
  for Division I womens coaches are different
  yet.)
• AS YOU CAN SEE, THE PROCESS IS ACTUALLY QUITE
  COMPLICATED!

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COLLEGE RECRUITING QUIZ

• Q How long can an official visit last?
• A No longer than 48 hours.
• Q When can a prospect begin making unofficial
  visits?
• A They can be made at any time.
•  
• Q What can the institution pay for during an
  unofficial visit?
• A Nothing.
•  
• Q What can a prospect do during an unofficial
  visit?
• A Have a tour of the campus, meet with
  counselors, etc., but nothing can be paid for.
•  

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COLLEGE RECRUITING QUIZ

• Q How many times can a prospect visit a campus?
• A An unlimited number of unofficial visits.
• Q Institutions can make scholarship offers to
  prospects during the recruiting process, that is
  grants-in-aid to attend said institution. What
  are some examples of prohibited financial offers?
• A Cash, the cosigning of loans, loans to a
  prospects friends or relatives, and employment
  arrangements for a prospects relatives.
• Q What types of benefits can colleges offer to
  prospects?
• A Job arrangements, assistance in obtaining
  educational loans, summer housing, and admission
  to athletic and alumni events.
• Note Summer jobs may not begin prior to the
  end of the prospects senior year.

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COLLEGE RECRUITING QUIZ

• Q Given that SAT testing now consists of 3
  components (critical reading, math and writing),
  does the NCAA include the writing component in
  the standards used to determine
  initial-eligibility?
• A No. The combined reading and math sections
  of the SAT, both of which are scored on a 200-800
  scale, will continue to comprise the score used
  on the sliding scale determining
  initial-eligibility. At this time, the writing
  component is not being included in making this
  determination.
• Note The ACT is also adding an optional
  writing component to its testing format. Since
  this component is optional, it will not be used
  in determining academic eligibility.

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COLLEGE RECRUITING QUIZ

• Q What is the function of the
  Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse?
• A It determines the initial eligibility of
  student-athletes by reviewing a combination of
  their completed high school curriculum and
  college entrance examination scores.
• Q Which divisions of NCAA competition require
  clearance from the NCAA Initial-Eligibility
  Clearinghouse prior to participation?
• A Divisions I II.

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MOST COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS

• Student-athletes dont need to challenge
  themselves academically in high school.
• Academics and good citizenship are overrated when
  it comes to athletic recruiting.
• Parental involvement plays no role in whether or
  not an institution pursues a given
  student-athlete.
• The difference between Divisions I, II III is
  skill.
• (Its size and speed!)
• Division III is where players go who cant play.

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WHAT ARE COLLEGE COACHES LOOKING FOR?

• PERSONAL INTEGRITY
• Heightened publicity over student-athletes who
  disgrace their schools has made character
  assessment increasingly important.
• Trends in Character Assessment
• Asking counselors about criminal behavioral,
  arrests, negative behavior in class, involvement
  in fights, anger problems, etc.
• Requesting counselors to assess a students
  motivations.
• Inquiring about the attitudes of the people in a
  students life towards education.
• Asking opposing coaches to assess a players
  character.
• Observing and assessing interactions and
  relationships with family members.
• Asking high school support personnel to assess a
  players character.

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HOW THINGS HAVE CHANGED

• ACADEMICS
• Academic reforms are making certain that
  student-athletes are ready for college level
  courses.
• ATHLETICS
• In the past, the ultimate question has been
  Can the student-athlete in question play for
  us?
• Now the question is Can the student-athlete
  graduate on time and project a positive image for
  the college while playing for us?

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THE IMPORTANCE OF ACADEMICS

• Too many student-athletes think that they dont
  need to challenge themselves academically in high
  school.
• Academics and good citizenship are far more
  important than most people think.
• ACADEMICS -will determine the schools into
  which the student-athlete will be admitted.
• - will determine the schools at which the
  student-athlete can succeed.
• -will determine eligibility through the NCAA
  Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse.
• -will determine whether the student-athlete
  will remain in school as well as his/her future
  success.

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ATHLETIC TRAITS

• College Coaches Look For
• Players who fill team needs.
• Athletic ability (i.e. skills, size, strength,
  speed, quickness, agility).
• Sport-specific skills.
• Potential to grow and mature
• (not potential to grow up and be mature).
• Team players, not players whose personal goals
  supercede team goals.
• Competitiveness and physical/mental toughness.
• Personal traits.

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THE NCAA INITIAL-ELIGIBILITY CLEARINGHOUSE

• All student-athletes who have aspirations to
  play at the NCAA Division I or Division II levels
  must register with the Initial-Eligibility
  Clearinghouse. This will determine whether the
  prospective student-athlete has taken the
  appropriate high school courses in order to be
  eligible as a college freshman.
• -The Division I and Division II
  initial-eligibility requirements have changed
• Student-athletes entering Division I and II NCAA
  institutions in 2006 and 2007 must have 14 core
  courses (instead of the 13 required prior to
  2005) to be eligible to practice, play and
  receive financial aid.
• For the class of 2008, 16 core courses will be
  required when entering a Division I institution.
• Note that Initial Eligibility is based on a
  sliding scale of Grade Point Average and SAT (or
  ACT) scores.
• (Additional information can be found _at_
  www.ncaa.org under the Useful Resources portion
  of the Academics and Athletes - Eligibility
  Recruiting section.)
• Note The application fee has recently been
  raised from 30 to 50.

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HOME-SCHOOLED STUDENTS AND THE CLEARINGHOUSE

• Home-schooled Students must also register with
  the Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse.
• Students who were home-schooled for any part of
  high school (grades nine through 12) must now
  register with the NCAA Initial-Eligibility
  Clearinghouse.  The clearinghouse will determine
  whether they will be eligible for practice,
  competition and institutional financial aid at an
  NCAA Division I or Division II institution during
  their freshman year.  
• Register with the clearinghouse by visiting the
  clearinghouse Web site at www.ncaaclearinghouse.ne
  t.  From there, click on "Prospective
  Student-Athletes," then "Domestic Student Release
  Form" and follow the prompts. 

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NCAA AMATEURISM CERTIFICATION CLEARINGHOUSE

• Incoming freshmen (both domestic and
  international) as well as transfer students
  seeking initial eligibility at an NCAA Division I
  or II institution must register with the NCAA
  Amateurism Certification Clearinghouse in order
  to determine/verify their amateur status.  
• Registration may be made via the internet.
• Registration for prospective student-athletes
  seeking certification for the 2007-08 academic
  year and future classes may be made as of the
  beginning of their junior year in high school.
• Final certification will occur 2 or 3 months
  prior to attending their chosen institution of
  higher learning.
• Information and application _at_ www.ncaa.org under
  the Useful Resources portion of the Academics
  and Athletes - Eligibility Recruiting
  section.)

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NATIONAL LETTER OF INTENT

• The National Letter of Intent (NLI) is a binding
  agreement between a prospective student-athlete
  and an institution.
• The student-athlete agrees to attend the
  institution for at least one academic year.
• The institution agrees to provide the
  student-athlete with financial aid for one
  academic year.
• All colleges and universities which participate
  in the National Letter of Intent program agree to
  cease recruiting any prospective student-athlete
  once they have signed a Letter of Intent with
  another institution. http//www.national-letter.o
  rg

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BREACH OF THE NATIONAL LETTER OF INTENT

• Should the student-athlete fail to attend the
  signing institution (or attend that institution
  for less than one academic year) and then enroll
  in another college that participates in the
  National Letter of Intent program, a loss of
  eligibility may result.
• The penalty for not adhering to the terms of a
  signed NLI may result in as much as a two years
  of athletic ineligibility (in all sports) at the
  latter institution.
• -------------------------------------------------
  -----------------------
• Special Note Most Division I II institutions
  employ one or more Compliance Officers. These
  professionals are experts who deal with NCAA
  regulations on a daily basis. In the event you
  have questions concerning the recruiting
  practices of a given institution, need to inquire
  about the appropriateness of a given practice, or
  NCAA rules in general, contact the Compliance
  Office at the institution(s) with which you are
  involved.

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FINANCIAL AID (SCHOLARSHIPS)

• Financial Aid (Scholarships) at Division I and
  II Institutions, which is based in some degree on
  athletic ability, can be awarded on a
  term-by-term or year-by-year basis, but not for
  more than one academic year.
• It may be either reduced or canceled prior to
  the end of the period for which it has been
  awarded under certain circumstances (such as the
  misrepresentation of information, serious
  misconduct, failure to participate, etc.).
• It may not be reduced or canceled prior to the
  end of the period for which it has been awarded
  based on athletic performance, failure to
  participate due to injury, or for any other
  athletic reason.
• Each year the financial aid authority of the
  institution must inform the student-athlete in
  writing on or before July 1 as to whether
  financial aid has been awarded for the upcoming
  academic year.

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PRIORITY LISTSRECRUITING BEHIND A PLAYER

• Bob James / Family Valley State
• 1. Valley State 1. Adam Miller
• 2. College of Idaho 2. Jesse Smith
• 3. Belmont University 3. Bill Sampson
• 4. College of Montana 4. Bob James
• 5. Eastern College 5. Walt Johnson
• It is extremely important to know where you
  stand on the college coachs list of
• preferred players. As we can see in the
  example, Bob James has narrowed down
• and ranked his list of preferred institutions.
  Hes quite aware that HE would like to
• attend and play for Valley State. However, he
  hasnt given any consideration as to
• where he stands on Valley States list of
  preferred players. (Probably because he
• believes that he can certainly play there!).
• What happens to Bob James when the Valley State
  coach fails to successfully land any of his top
  3 recruits? He offers Bob James a scholarship.

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WHAT BECOMES OF BOB JAMES

• Of all the things that can happen to Bob James at
  Valley State, they are all negative.
• 1- He starts at point guard his freshman year.
  Although he keeps his scholarship for 4 years, he
  is a seldom used reserve for the remainder of his
  career. Why? Knowing that Bob is not the
  quality of player needed at that position in
  order to be competitive, the coach recruits a
  better player at that position the following
  year. (He recruits a player Behind Him.)
• 2- The coach reneges on Bobs scholarship. Bob
  remains at the school, but his playing career is
  over.
• 3- The coach decides not to renew his
  scholarship and recruits a player Behind Him
  because he needs a higher quality player at that
  position in order to be competitive.
• 4- He transfers and makes the team at the new
  school. He loses a year of eligibility, but
  makes the team the following year as a walk-on
  (with no scholarship). He may or may not be
  offered a scholarship at a later time.
• 5- He transfers to a lower level school, can
  play right away and has a successful career at
  that level. However, its a school which either
  does not or can not give scholarships. Plus,
  some of his credits dont transfer so he is
  forced to attend the school for an extra
  semester/year at his and his familys expense.
• KNOW WHERE YOU STAND ON THE COACHS PREFERRED
  LIST!
• DONT HESITATE TO ASK WHERE AND HOW YOU FIT INTO
  THE COACHS PLANS!

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DIVISION I RULE CHANGES REGARDING OFFICIAL
VISITS

• Air travel Limited to commercial flights, coach
  class only.
• Ground transportation No specialty or luxury
  vehicles.
• Meals No extravagant meals.
• Lodging No luxury hotels.
• Student Hosts Must be student-athletes from the
  same sport.
• Recruiting Aids Bans articles such as
  personalized jerseys, audio or visual scoreboard
• presentations.
• Institutional policies and procedures Must be
  in writing. Must include the prohibition of
  drinking/drug use/gambling/strippers.

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RECRUITING DEFINITIONS

• Contact period Permissible for authorized
  athletic department staff members to make
  in-person, off-campus recruiting contacts and
  evaluations.
• Dead period Not permissible to make in-person
  recruiting contacts or evaluations on- or
  off-campus or
• permit official or unofficial visits.
•  
• Evaluation period Permissible for authorized
  athletics department staff to be involved in
  off-campus activities to assess academic
  qualifications and playing abilities. No
  in- person, off-campus recruiting contacts
  with a prospect are permitted. 
• Quiet period Permissible to make in-person
  recruiting contacts only on the member
  institution's campus.
• Detailed information about recruiting is
  available in the online edition of the NCAA Guide
  for the College-Bound Student-Athlete _at_
  www.ncaa.org under the Useful Resources portion
  of the Academics and Athletes - Eligibility
  Recruiting section.)

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THE RECRUITING PROCESSDIVISIONS I II

• Phase I
• Recruiting letters begin the recruiting process.
• Colleges can send out recruiting letters after
  the prospect has started his/her junior year.
  Hand written notes are a sign of genuine
  interest.
• Once Division I II schools are allowed to make
  telephone calls on a regular basis (which is
  dictated by the rules governing the specific
  sport), one phone call / week is permitted.
  Division III schools are unrestricted in this
  area.
• Note Any prearranged electronically
  transmitted correspondence between an authorized
  institutional staff member and one or more
  prospects, or the use of a pager to contact a
  prospect (and leave a message longer than a
  greeting) is considered a telephone call.

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THE RECRUITING PROCESSDIVISIONS I II

• Phase II
• Coaches come to evaluate. In-person, off-campus
  recruiting contacts are not permitted during an
  evaluation period. (Recruiting calendars and
  terminology can be found at www.ncaa.org under
  the heading General Information under
  Recruiting in the Eligibility Recruiting
  section of Academics and Athletes.
• Phase III
• The home visit. (Most often used by Division I
  coaches.) Should you get to this point, it is an
  indication of very serious interest. 

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THE RECRUITING PROCESSDIVISIONS I II

• Phase IV
• Official campus visit. Schools are limited by
  association affiliation (NCAA, NAIA, etc.) or
  money allotted to that sport by the institution.
  Prospective student-athletes are allowed 5
  official campus visits.
• Phase V
• Decision on whether or not to offer a
  scholarship.

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THE RECRUITING PROCESSDIVISION III

• The NCAA does not regulate the recruiting
  practices of Division III Institutions to the
  degree that it regulates those of Division I II
  Institutions. In spite of this, the phases of
  the recruiting process remain very similar, but
  with variations with respect to their order of
  occurrence.
• Student-athletes aspiring to participate at this
  level are not required to submit applications to
  the Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse or the
  Amateurism Certification Clearinghouse, and they
  are not bound by the National Letter of Intent.
  However, these institutions set very high
  standards for their students and determine
  amateur status at the institutional level.
• The biggest difference between scholarship and
  non-scholarship institutions is Division I II
  Institutions try to sell their programs, with the
  climax being the decision to offer a scholarship.
  Given that Division III schools are not working
  with scholarship money (everyone who qualifies is
  offered a financial aid package), the process is
  driven by alternating demonstrations of interest.
  (Hopefully, this statement will become more
  easily understood as we proceed through the
  phases.)
• Note Greater explanation is given to this
  level of college athletics because a greater
  number of high school athletes are recruited to
  play at this level than at any other!

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THE RECRUITING PROCESSDIVISION III

• PHASE I
• Initial Contact This typically comes in the
  form of a questionnaire.
• Note There are no restrictions as to when
  initial telephone calls can be made. Although
  in-person, off-campus contacts cant be made
  with prospects, parents, legal guardians or
  relatives until the completion of the prospects
  junior year.
• PHASE II
• Evaluation If the student-athlete returns the
  initial questionnaire, many coaches will make
  telephone contact and (if the prospect appears to
  be interested) attend a regular-season game in
  order to evaluate whether this level of play is
  appropriate given the student-athletes
  abilities. Head coaches tend to see players who
  are known quantities, or top priority recruits
  first. Assistant coaches tend to see lesser
  known players first.
• PHASE III
• Campus Visit / Application Once the coaching
  staff has attended a couple of games, (The more
  they want you, the more theyll see you.), they
  will make a serious attempt to get the
  student-athlete onto campus for a visit. The
  visit typically consists of a tour, lunch, a
  meeting with the head coach, and a meeting with a
  representative from admissions. Coaches will
  often invite higher profile recruits for
  overnight visits. Coaches hope that by this
  point, an application for admission has already
  been submitted.
• PHASE IV

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THE RECRUITING PROCESSDIVISION III

• PHASE IV
• Financial Aid Package Packages typically
  consist of grant, loan and work study monies.
  THIS IS WHERE ACADEMICS REALLY MATTER! The
  attractiveness of the package which a student
  receives is pretty much dependent upon how well
  the student fits the profile of the school.
  (Notice that I did not use the term
  student-athlete in this section. By NCAA
  rules, students at the Division III level are not
  to even be designated as prospective
  student-athletes because financial aid is not to
  be based to any degree on athletics.) The better
  a student fits the profile of the school, the
  more grant money, and less loan and work study
  money is included in the package. The lesser
  degree to which the student fits the profile of
  the school, the less grant money and more loan
  and work study money is included. Nobody likes
  to pay money back, so students who dont meet the
  profile/standards of the school (although they
  could or probably would be admitted if no other
  applicants were better qualified) are actually
  discouraged from enrolling by the configuration
  of the financial aid package. Conversely,
  everybody likes free money. Thus, those students
  who are academically attractive to the
  institution receive the most grant money, thus
  are most encouraged to enroll.
• PHASE V
• If the coaching staff regards you as a top
  recruit and believes you are on the fence in
  terms of enrolling, the head coach (and possibly
  a top assistant) will conduct a home visit in an
  effort to show the prospective student-athlete
  the high degree to which they are interested.

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APPROACHING THE PROCESS

• 1- Determine the players ability and appropriate
  level of play.
• -Ask coaches of opponent schools in your area.
  (Your coach may be a bit too biased or
  unrealistic.)
• -Which level has shown the most interest?
• 2- Make unofficial visits.
• -Take unannounced trips and visit the campuses
  of schools which have made contact and in which
  you might have an interest.
• -Ask acquaintances or the high school guidance
  department whether they know of anyone who
  attends the institution. Talk to these students.
  Dont be shy. Theyll be happy to talk to you
  about their schools.
• 3- Prioritize schools.
• -Contacts by coaches, your impressions of the
  schools based on visits/reputation, the
  interviewing of students from your area who
  attend the institution, etc. should give you
  adequate information for prioritizing purposes.

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APPROACHING THE PROCESS

• 4- Make official visits. You get 5. Use them
  wisely. You wont really know until you get on
  campus and talk to your host student-athlete, the
  coach, admissions, eat in the dining hall, etc.
• 5- Determine your role on the team in each
  program.
• -Play in pick-up games with team members to see
  how you stack up to players in the program, and
  returning players at your position in particular.
• -Ask the coach and student-athlete host the right
  questions
• -Who is returning and at what positions?
• -What are your chances of playing right away?
• -What does the coach see your role on the team
  being?
• -Where are you on his list of recruits?
• -What is the coachs reputation of recruiting
  behind players?

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APPROACHING THE PROCESS

• 6- Determine the short-term vs. long-term
  advantages of being a part of each program.
• -What type of career (or level of success) is
  possible, if not likely, at each school?
• -Whats the schools graduation rate?
• -What types of academic help are available?
• -What kind of placement record does the school
  have in a given major?
• -What is the schools overall placement record
  in the event that you change majors?
• -What is the coaches reputation for helping
  players with employment opportunities?
• 7- Consider the financial aid package or
  scholarship offer.
• 8- Make your decision.

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EVALUATING OPPORTUNITIESIMPORTANT INFORMATION
TO KNOW

• How well you fill their needs.
• How badly they need someone at your position.
• Whether you are the player they really want.
• The coaches history of bringing in players as a
  necessity and then recruiting behind them.
• How you fit into the program, into their future
  plans. How their needs may change over time.
• The coachs history of reneging on scholarships.

35
POINTS OF EMPHASIS AND ADVICE

• Colleges control the recruiting process, not the
  high school students or their families.
• College coaches are professional recruiters.
  Parents are often going through the process for
  the first time. This is part of the reason the
  recruiters control the process.
• Parents are often in awe of the process, confused
  by what is going on, and naïve about the business
  of college athletics. (The more you can learn,
  the better off youll be!)
• Be objective about your sons/daughters
  abilities. Although this is often difficult,
  failure to do so can be extremely detrimental to
  them in the long run. If the appropriate level
  of play is not accurately determined, they will
  be much less likely to choose the program which
  will best satisfy their educational and athletic
  needs. The issue here is to find the right fit,
  to help your son / daughter meet their goals and
  prepare them for adult life.

36
POINTS OF EMPHASIS AND ADVICE

• Marketing high school players is to no avail, if
  the appropriate level of collegiate competition
  is not correctly determined.
• Recruiters like effort. You never know whos
  watching.
• Its downright stupid for a player (or the
  parents for that matter) to be at odds with the
  high school coach. A college coachs first
  contact is the high school coach.
• Ask your high school coach, or a high school
  coach in your area, what level of college
  athletics will be most appropriate.
• Ask the college recruiter how they see you
  fitting into their program.
• The 3rd or 4th question recruiters ask is What
  kind of a student is he/she?
  ITS A MAJOR CONCERN! Coaches dont want players
  who will be academically ineligible. They need
  players who are going to play.

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POINTS OF EMPHASIS AND ADVICE

• Character is also an issue. Coaches dont want
  players who will either be a distraction/problem
  to the team/coaching staff because he/she is
  incapable of behaving outside of athletics.
  Remember, the definition of character is WHO
  YOU ARE WHEN NO ONES AROUND
• The more prepared you are for college, both
  academically and athletically, the better off
  youll be.
• College athletics is much more demanding in terms
  of both physical and time commitments. If youre
  not prepared, be prepared to struggle in both
  areas.
• THERE IS LIFE AFTER ATHLETICS! BE PREPARED!

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NAIA REGULATIONS

• NAIA recruiting rules and initial-eligibility
  requirements differ from those of the NCAA.
• The NAIA
• 1- Has fewer recruiting restrictions.
• 2- Requires that student-athletes meet 2 of
  the following 3 requirements for
  initial-eligibility.
• -Minimum of 18 on the ACT or 860 on the SAT.
• -Minimum of a 2.0 GPA.
• -Graduate in the top half of his/her high
  school class.
• 3- Offers flexibility to transfer without
  penalty.
• 4- No Clearinghouse to establish initial
  eligibility.

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GOVERNING ORGANIZATIONS

• NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic
  Association
• 6201 College Blvd.
• Overland Park, Kansas 66211-2422
• phone [phone]
• NCAA HOTLINE [phone]
• General Information / Publications website
  www.ncaa.org
• Graduation Rates www.ncaa.org in the Academics
  and Athletes - Eligibility Recruiting section
  under Helpful Links.
• Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse
  www.ncaaclearinghouse.net
• Academic Question, e-mail address
  academics_at_ncaa.org
• NAIA The National Association of
  Intercollegiate Athletics
• 6120 South Yale Suite 1450
• Tulsa, Oklahoma 74136
• phone [phone]
• Information website www.naia.org

40
GOVERNING ORGANIZATIONS

• NJCAA - National Junior College Athletic
  Association
• P.O. Box 7305
• Colorado Springs, Colorado 80933
• phone [phone]
• Information website www.njcaa.org
• www.national-letter.org National Letter of
  Intent website.

41
ACADEMIC, FINANCIAL, RECRUITING WEBSITES

• The National Directory of College Athletics
• c/o Collegiate Directories, Inc.
• P.O. Box 450640
• Cleveland, Ohio 44145
• phone [phone]
• Information website www.collegiatedirectories.c
  om
• College Recruiting Services www.CollegeRecruitin
  g.com
• www.collegeboundplayers.com
• www.collegeboard.com General information and
  CSS/Profile financial aid
• online application and registration.
• www.dynamitesports.com Educational programs,
  professional development seminars, recruiting
  highlight tapes, etc.
• www.varsityedge.com Recruiting information and
  resources.

42
MORE WEBSITES

• www.collegeispossible.org Preparing for
  college, both academically and financially.
• www.ed.gov General information on federal
  student aid from U.S. Department of Education.
• www.fafsa.ed.gov Free Application for Federal
  Student Aid. Apply and submit online.
• www.pheaa.org Information for parents and
  students from Pennsylvania Higher Education
  Assistance Agency.
• www.fastweb.com Free scholarship search from
  extensive database of scholarship information.
• www.finaid.org The Financial Aid Information
  Page providing free, comprehensive, independent,
  and objective information to student financial
  aid.
• www.nasfaa.org The National Association of
  Financial Aid Administrators includes a wealth of
  information to help with planning to invest in a
  college education.

43
MORE WEBSITES

• www.wiredscholar.com Scholarship leads, loan
  information.
• www.patap.org Pennsylvania Tuition Account
  Program (TAP) information on saving for college.
• www.savingforcollege.com General information on
  college savings plans (IRS Section 529 plans).
• www.ustreas.gov Information on U.S. Savings
  Bonds
• www.irs.ustreas.gov Information on federal tax
  credits and deductions related to education.
• www.ifap.ed.gov Explains U.S. Department of
  Educations federal student aid programs,
  encourages at risk students to continue their
  education beyond high school, provides guidance
  in completing FAFSA, lists websites and
  publications about financial aid.

44
RELATED NCAA PUBLICATIONS _at_ www.ncaa.org

• NCAA General Information Brochure
• One copy free by calling 800/638-3731
• View/Download
• 2005-06 Guide for the College-Bound
  Student-Athlete
• One copy free by calling 800/638-3731
• View/Download
• NCAA Transfer Guide
• One copy free by calling 800/638-3731
• View/Download
• CHAMPS/Life Skills Program
• View/Download

45
MORE PUBLICATIONS _at_ www.ncaa.org.

• NCAA Bylaws
• (Division I) View/Download
• (Division II) View/Download
• (Division III) View/Download