NCAA/NJCAA General Info

NCAA Division I College Baseball

- General Information
  - 297 teams competing at this level (as of 2018)
  - Approximately 10,489 players
  - 11.7 maximum scholarships
  - 25% minimum scholarship
  - 35 players on an active roster
  - 27 players can travel
  - 56 game regular season schedule
- Academic Standards
  - Must graduate from high school
  - Complete a minimum of 16 core courses
  - Earn at least a 2.3 grade-point average in core courses
  - Earn a qualifying test score on either the ACT or SAT
  - Sliding Scale System
    - The lower your GPA, the higher your test scores have to be
    - The higher your GPA, the lower your test scores can be
  - A combined SAT score is calculated by adding reading and math subscores
  - An ACT sum score is calculated by adding English, math, reading and science subscores
- Recruiting Rules & Calendars
  - Telephone, text, or email messages are not allowed prior to September 1st of a prospective student athlete (PSA’s) Junior year
  - Anything before this date needs to be initiated by the PSA
  - Coaches are not allowed to call/text PSA’s back if they call and leave a voice/text message
  - July 1st following the completion PSA’s Junior year is the first time schools are allowed to have face-to-face contact off-campus

NCAA Division II College Baseball

- General Information
  - 274 teams competing at this level
  - Approximately 10,350 players
  - 9 maximum scholarships
  - No minimum scholarship amount
  - No limit on roster – can have as many players as the school is willing to have
  - 51 game regular season schedule
- Academic Standards
  - In general, less strict than DI
  - Must graduate from high school
  - Complete a minimum of 16 core courses
  - Earn at least a 2.2 grade-point average in core courses
  - Earn a qualifying test score on either the ACT or SAT
  - Sliding Scale System
    - The lower your GPA, the higher your test scores have to be
    - The higher your GPA, the lower your test scores can be
- Recruiting Rules & Calendars
  - Recruiting rules are less restrictive for DII schools
  - Contact and official visits can begin the summer before PSA’s junior year
  - Starting June 15 prior to the student athlete Junior year:
    - Coaches can begin calling, texting, emailing, and using video conferencing (i.e. Facetime/Skype) with athletes
    - Coaches can have off-campus communications with athletes and/or their parents
    - Student athletes may start taking official campus visits

NCAA Division III College Baseball

- General Information
  - 384 teams competing at this level
  - Approximately 13,190 players
  - Do not give athletic scholarships
  - Many schools have financial aid packages and academic scholarships
    - 75% of DIII student-athletes receive some form of merit or need-based financial aid
  - 40 game regular season schedule
- Academic Standards
  - The NCAA does not set initial eligibility requirements in Division III
  - Division III colleges and universities set their own admission standards – student-athletes must meet those admission standards
  - As a result, student-athletes do not need to register with NCAA Eligibility Center
- Recruiting Rules & Calendars
  - Compared to DI and DII, DIII schools have the most relaxed recruiting rules
  - College coaches are allowed to make unlimited calls to student-athletes
  - College coaches may start off-campus communications after an athlete’s sophomore year
  - Unofficial visits are not limited – athletes and their parents can make as many as they want
  - Athletes can begin taking official visits after Jan 1 of their junior year

NJCAA Junior College Baseball

- General Information
  - 386 teams competing at this level
  - Approximately 11,540 players
  - 24 scholarships available
  - No limit on roster – can have as many players as the school is willing to have
  - 56 game regular season schedule
- Like the NCAA, there are 3 divisions at the Junior College level
  - Division I
  - Division II
  - Division III – do not offer scholarships
- Information Brochure for Prospective Junior College Student Athletes
- Eligibility Rules pamphlet
- Recruiting Rules & Calendars
  - Junior college coaches are free to contact prospective student-athletes at any time provided they have not signed a junior college letter of intent
  - There is no baseball recruiting calendar
  - A student-athlete must have completed their junior year of high school to receive an official recruiting visit