A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

Division I College Varsity Sports - Who Can Play?

Effective August 1, 1996, new academic provisions specified in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Proposition 16 will be fully implemented. In light of this, a new 12-page report from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), Who Can Play? An Examination of the NCAAs Proposition 16, presents data from a study of 1992 high school seniors to determine how many meet these new NCAA requirements for freshmen participation in Division I college varsity sports.

Proposition 48, the predecessor of Proposition 16, requires student-athletes to have a minimum SAT score of 700 (ACT score of 17) and a minimum GPA of 2.0 in at least 11 courses in core subjects. The core course requirements include 3 years of English, 2 years of math, 2 years of natural or physical sciences, 2 years of social sciences, and 2 additional academic courses. Under Proposition 16, coursework requirements increase from 11 to 13 courses (effective August 1) with the additional stipulation that the number of English classes be increased to 4, the 2-course mathematics requirement include algebra, geometry, or a higher level mathematics course, and 1 additional academic elective. In addition, a sliding scale that combines SAT/ACT scores and GPA will be implemented. With the sliding scale, a student-athlete with a SAT score of 700 (ACT, 17) must have a minimum GPA of 2.5; alternatively, a student-athlete with an SAT score of 900 (ACT, 21) must have a minimum GPA of 2.0.

Findings from Who Can Play? reveal that:

• 83.2 percent of 1992 college-bound high school seniors met the NCAA Proposition 48 eligibility requirements for athletic participation as freshmen. When the Proposition 16 provisions were invoked, the percent qualifying dropped to 64.7 percent.

• 67 percent of white and Asian college-bound high school seniors met the Proposition 16 requirements, while only 54.1 percent of Hispanics and 46.4 percent of blacks met the criteria.

• College-bound high school seniors from the lowest socioeconomic status levels were the least likely to meet the Proposition 16 requirements, with only 42 percent qualifying.

• College-bound high school athletes met the requirements at the same rate as the nonathletes.

The report concluded that for any high school athlete who aspires to participate in Division I college athletics, the planning process must begin early in the students high school career. Student-athletes, guidance counselors, parents, and coaches must all be aware of the NCAA eligibility requirements.

Copies of the NCES Statistics in Brief: Who Can Play? An Examination of the NCAAs Proposition 16 are free from OERI (see ordering information); ask for NCES 95-763.
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