Amateurism - The status of a student-athlete that means he/she has not received payment or prize money for playing spots, has not participated with a professional team, and has not had any benefits or signed an agreement with an agent. The NCAA Eligibility Center determine the amateurism for Division I & II schools. The certification for Division III schools is handled by the individual college.
Amateurism Certification - The process that a prospect must go through to ensure his/her amateurism. The NCAA Eligibility Center handles the certification of Division I & II prospects, while individual colleges handle the certification of Division III prospects.
Clearinghouse - See "Eligibility Center."
Contact - Any time there is face-to-face contact between a college coach and a prospect or the parents of a prospect off the college's campus; Any time there is any contact between a college coach and a prospect or the parents of a prospect at the prospect's high school or location of a game or practice.
Contact Period - Period of time when a college coach can have face-to-face contact with a prospect and the parents of a prospect either on or off of the college's campus. During this period of time, college coaches may watch prospects play and visit their high school. Coaches can also write to prospects and call prospects on the phone. The prospect and the parents of the prospect are allowed to go to a college campus.
Core Grade Point Average (GPA) - A student-athlete's core GPA is the calculation of the GPA based on a 4.000 scale, but it does not include elective classes, only core classes. A list of approved core classes for every high school in the country can be found on the NCAA Eligibility Center website. The best grades in each mandated category will be used to calculate the prospect's core GPA.
Dead Period - Period of time when the NCAA allows no face-to-face contact between a college coach and the prospect or the prospect's parents. However, written contact and phone calls are allowed during this time.
Early Signing Period - Some sports have a small window early in the school year where student-athletes can sign their National Letter of Intent early instead of waiting for the spring. There is no early signing period in football.
Eligibility Center - A department of the NCAA that handles the initial eligibility of prospects. Any high school athlete who wishes to play Division I or Division II sports in college must register with the NCAA Eligibility Center.
Evaluation - Any action taken by a college coach to measure a prospect's athletic or academic ability and qualifications. During an evaluation, college coaches may visit a high school, watch a practice, or attend a game.
Evaluation Period - Period of time that a college coach can visit a high school and watch a prospect practice or play in a game, but the college coach cannot have any face-to-face contact with the prospect or the parents of the prospect. Visits by prospects to a college campus are permitted during this time, as are phone calls and written communication from the college coach.
General Education Development (GED) - Standardized test that includes five subject tests. When a person passes the GED, he/she certifies that they have high school-level academic skills. For the NCAA, a GED can satisfy high school graduation requirements in certain cases, but it does not satisfy other requirements such as the core GPA or SAT/ACT requirements.
Grade Point Average (GPA) - Also see "Core Grade Point Average (GPA)."
Grant In Aid - Money received by a student-athlete from the college that can cover up to the total cost of tuition, fees, room, board and books. A student cannot receive money greater in amount than the cost of attending school or he/she is ineligible to compete in the NCAA.
Gray Shirt - A term that refers to a prospect who signs a National Letter of Intent during the signing period but delays his/her enrollment into college until the mid-year point of the school year.
Green Shirt - A term that describes a high school football players who forgoes his/her spring semester in high school and enrolls in a college early, in time for the spring semester to begin classes and workouts.
Initial Eligibility - To be eligible to play the NCAA, all athletes must achieve initial eligibility. This refers to the prospect meeting all required academic and amateurism eligibility requirements.
Invited Walk-On - Also see "Preferred Walk-On."
Junior College (JUCO) - An institution where student-athletes can play a sport at a two-year school directly after high school while earning an associates degree. After the two-year period, a junior college student-athlete may transfer to a four-year university with two years of athletic eligibility remaining.
Medical Red Shirt - If a college student-athlete is injured and misses a year or more of participation because of the injury, he/she can apply to the NCAA to have his/her athletic eligibility extended.
National Letter of Intent - Official NCAA document that a prospect signs when he/she is stating which college they are attending for the upcoming school year. National Letters of Intent are binding, unlike verbal commitments.
National Signing Day - High school football seniors are allowed to sign their National Letter Intent on the first Wednesday in February of their senior year. Prospects may also sign after this date, but cannot sign before. Also see "Signing Period"
NCAA Courses - A list of classes at each high school in the country that the NCAA considers a core course. These are the only courses that can be used to calculate a student-athlete's core GPA.
Non-Qualifier - Refers to a student-athlete who doesn't meet the academic eligibility requirements in high school. A non-qualifier cannot compete or practice with his/her college team, and cannot receive an athletic scholarship. At the Division-I level, a non-qualifier loses a year of eligibility. At the Division-II level, a non-qualifier may still be able to play four seasons.
Official Visit - A visit by a prospect to a college campus that is paid for by the college the prospect is visiting. Things that a college is allowed to pay for: transportation to and from the campus, accommodations, three meals per day and some entertainment expenses. Prospects are only allowed to take five official visits.
Partial Qualifier - In NCAA Division-II, a partial qualifier is a student-athlete who did not meet all of the Division-II academic requirements. To be considered a partial qualifier, a student-athlete must have graduated from high school and either received an SAT score of 820 or ACT score of 68, or received a core GPA of a 2.000 or greater. A partial qualifier can practice at the home facility, receive an athletic scholarship, and play four seasons at the school. A partial qualifier cannot compete during the first year of college. There are no partial qualifiers at the Division-I level.
Preferred Walk-On - Colleges will invite student-athletes to walk-on to their teams under the condition that they are accepted to the institution. A preferred walk-on does not receive an athletic scholarship.
Professional Team - A student-athlete is considered to have played for a professional team when he/she receives benefits that exceed the "actual and necessary expenses for participation on the team."
Prospective Student-Athlete - Term that the NCAA uses for high school students when they enter the ninth grade.
Qualifier - Refers to a student-athlete who meets all initial eligibility academic requirements. He/She can compete and practice on a team and is eligible to receive an athletic scholarship.
Quiet Period - Period of time when no face-to-face communication can be made between a college coach and a prospect or the parents of a prospect off the college's campus. Prospects can still take college visits. College coaches cannot attend practices or games, but they can have written contact and make phone calls.
Red Shirt - Refers to a year in which a college athlete does not participate in competition but still practices, works out, and goes to classes. The NCAA allows a student-athlete to use five years to complete four seasons of eligibility. Most red shirt players use their red shirt year during their freshman year.
Scholarship - Money provided to a college student to help cover the cost of attending school either in part or in full.
Signing Period - Period of time in which prospects are allowed to sign a National Letter of Intent. Also see "National Signing Day."
Sliding Scale - A table the NCAA uses for prospective Division-I student-athletes. Using the student-athlete's calculated core GPA, the sliding scale will inform a student of his/her minimum scores required on the SAT and ACT in order to meet the initial eligibility requirements.
Unofficial Visit - Any visit a prospect or the parents of a prospect makes to a college that is not paid for by the college. Prospects can take an unlimited number of unofficial visits.
Verbal Commitment - When a prospect says verbally that he/she will attend a specific college, but does not sign a National Letter of Intent. A verbal commitment is not binding and prospects can change their mind after making a verbal commitment.
Walk-On - A term that describes a college student-athlete who is on a collegiate team, but does not receive an athletic scholarship.
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