NCAA Eligibility Center makes important ruling on approved e-learning

College-bound student-athletes received some important news from the NCAA Eligibility Center (formerly known at the NCAA Clearinghouse) on Friday afternoon. With classwork moving out of the classroom and into the living room or other accommodations for the remainder of the academic school year, the very real question was brought up in terms of what that would mean for athletes needing to complete core classes to gain clearance for Division I or Division II athletics.

The NCAA announced that the Eligibility Center ‘will not require a separate review of distance or e-learning programs utilized by schools with NCAA-approved core courses that have moved to distance or e-learning environments for the Spring/Summer terms due to school closures’.

This move clears what would have surely been a bottleneck of reviews that would have had to occur as every high school in America would have had to go under some sort of review for how they were handling their distance learning. This move will allow schools that already have NCAA approval for its core coursework to move forward and clear up any certification questions on the surface.

It is important to remember that this move opens up the door for schools that have previously received NCAA blessing for its core coursework prior to this move to distance and e-learning.

RELATED: Check out the NCAA Eligibility Center

While recruiting fans focus on things like players picking up offers and getting the proper ACT/SAT scores to become eligible to participate in collegiate athletics, there is so much more than goes into the process of being signed off upon. This move by the NCAA will answer a lot of questions for students, parents and administrators that all are in uncharted waters as the nation deals with the COVID-19 situation.

Prospective student-athletes looking to compete in Division I athletics need to have a minimum of a 2.3 GPA in core classwork along with a 900 SAT or 75 ACT sum score (calculated by adding English, math, reading and science subscores). There is a sliding scale that adjusts with lower required standardized test scores to go with higher GPAs and vice-versa, but the 2.3 GPA is the basement for eligibility.

This final semester of the academic year is a big one for student-athletes to finish required coursework and this move by the Eligibility Center will come as a huge relief to everyone involved with players scrambling to finish up NCAA core courses.

Classes that qualify as NCAA core courses include:

· English: English 1-4, American Literature

· Math: Algebra 1-3, Geometry, statistics

· Natural of physical science: biology, chemistry, physics

· Social science: American History, civics, government

· Additional: comparative religion, Spanish 1-4

RELATED: For more information on core courses check out NCAA.org

Student athletes are required to complete and pass 16 core classes that include four years of English, three years of math (Algebra 1 or higher) two years of physical or natural science (including one-year of lab science, if offered), two years of social science among other requirements. You can learn more about what else makes up the core requirements for NCAA eligibility here.

Classes in non-core areas include courses in physical education, art, music and industrial arts (i.e. welding). Courses taught below grade level, often with names such as basic, essential, fundamental and foundational are also not considered to be core classes.

The NCAA is asking that students complete their NCAA-approved core courses as approved by their school, district or state department of education through the channels provided.

We will continue to follow any other updated news from the Eligibility Center as it is made available. For more information on COVID-19, please visit here.