Prospective Student Athletes (PSA)
Who is a PSA? A prospective student-athlete is any student who has started classes for the ninth grade.
An individual remains classified as a prospective student-athlete (PSA) until one of the following occurs (whichever is earlier):
A. The individual officially registers and enrolls in a minimum full-time program of studies
and attends classes in any term of a four-year collegiate institution's regular academic year (excluding summer); or
B. The individual participates in a regular squad practice or competition at a four-year collegiate institution even if practice occurs before the beginning of any term.
A prospective student-athlete becomes "recruited" if any coach or representative of the University's athletics interest (i.e. "booster" does any of the following:
- Provides you with an official visit to the University of West Georgia
- Contacts you or your family member on more than one occasion
- Meets with you or a family member anywhere off-campus
NCAA Recruiting Rules
The NCAA strictly regulates when and how coaches and athletic department staff members can contact prospective student-athletes. Depending on the circumstances, they may not always be able speak to you or get back to you via phone or email. When contacting a coach or administrator, ALWAYS leave a detailed message that includes your age, grade level and school. This will help the coach/administrator determine whether he/she is allowed to have contact with you. The NCAA has a helpful
Division II Recruiting Guide (PDF) with important definitions and a DII recruiting timeline to help you understand some of these rules. Please note, recruiting contact rules are different across Divisions I and II and III.
See FAQs below for answers to some of the most frequently asked recruiting questions.
Q: What is an official visit?
A: Any visit to a college campus where the institution pays for part or all of your expenses. You are only allowed to make one official visit per institution. A prospective student-athlete may not make an official visit earlier than June 15
th preceding his/her junior year in high school.
Q: What is an unofficial visit?
A: An unofficial visit is any visit to a college that is not paid for by the institution. Unlike with official visits, you are allowed to take as many unofficial visits to a school as you like AND you can go on an unofficial visit at any age.
Q: When is the first opportunity a West Georgia coach may communicate with me?
A: West Georgia coaches may contact a prospective student-athlete and/or a family member June 15 prior to the prospective student-athlete's junior year in high school. There are different rules for different means of communication. The NCAA's
Division II Recruiting Guideline(PDF) will give you a complete breakdown of when and how West Georgia coaches can have contact with you and your parents. Remember recruiting rules are different for Divisions I, II and III.
Q: When can I start calling a West Georgia coach? When can I start emailing them?
A: Prospective student-athletes and their parents may call a West Georgia coach at any time. If the coach answers the call, he/she is free to talk to you. However, if you leave a message, NCAA rules may not allow the coach to return your call. Please reference the above mentioned
Division II Recruiting Guideline (PDF) for specific information. Similar to phone calls, you can always email a West Georgia coach. However, unless you've reached June 15 prior your junior year in high school, the coach is not allowed to email you back except to explain the NCAA contact rules. Remember, if you are a student at another 4-year institution and are attempting to contact a West Georgia coach or administrator, you must be entered in the NCAA Transfer Portal (NAIA and Junior College transfer students have different transfer requirements).
Amateurism
All prospective student-athletes (freshman and transfer) must receive amateurism certification by the NCAA Eligibility Center. Some prospective student-athletes trigger "organized competition legislation "by delaying collegiate enrollment for more than one academic year following high school graduation. This may have an impact on amateurism certification and PSA's eligibility. Therefore, prospective student-athletes are encouraged to review organized competition legislation that is provided in
Additional Resources section below. In addition, an individual loses amateur status and is not eligible for intercollegiate athletics participation in a particular sport if the individual enters into an agreement with or receives any benefits from an agent at any time.
Academic Eligibility
Initial Eligibility
A prospective student-athlete must be certified by the NCAA Eligibility Center as an academic Qualifier to participate and compete in intercollegiate athletics during their initial year of college enrollment. All of the following requirements must be met to achieve the Qualifier certification status:
- Graduation from high school
- Successful completion of the required core curriculum in high school (16 core courses as listed below)
- Minimum required cumulative GPA of 2.2 in the core curriculum
- Specified minimum SAT or ACT test score
HS Core Curriculum:
| English |
3 years |
| Mathematics |
2 years |
| Natural or physical science (including at least one laboratory course if offered by the high school) |
2 years |
| Additional course in English, mathematics or natural or physical science |
3 years |
| Social science |
2 years |
| Additional courses in any of the above areas or foreign language, philosophy or non-doctrinal religion |
4 years |
A Partial Qualifier is a student who does not meet the requirements for a qualifier but who, at the time of graduation from high school, presents one of the following academic requirements:
- Successful completion of the required core curriculum with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0; or
- Specified minimum SAT or ACT test score.
Partial Qualifiers may practice and receive athletics aid but cannot compete in intercollegiate athletics during their first year of college enrollment.
Transfer Student Eligibility
Students who wish to transfer from a collegiate institution to UWG are subject to Division II transfer eligibility rules. These rules differ depending on whether you are transferring from a two-year college or a four-year institution. Please note that UWG coaches and staff are prohibited from contacting or communicating with a prospective student-athlete who is enrolled at a four-year institution unless that student-athlete has entered the NCAA Transfer Portal. For more information, please refer to the NCAA Transfer Guide provided in the
Additional Resources section below.
Additional Resources:
NCAA Initial Eligibility Standards
: Please check to make sure that you are on the right track to meet the
NCAA Initial Eligibility Standards (PDF).
NCAA Guide for College Bound Student-Athletes (PDF)
Home School Information (PDF)
Home School Checklist (PDF)
Guide to International Student Standards- A country-by-country guide to international academic standards for athletic eligibility.
NCAA Transfer Guide
Division II Organized Competition Legislation (PDF)
Division II Recruiting Guide (PDF)
2021-22 NCAA Division II Manual
Two-Year Transfer Requirements (PDF)
FAQ for International College-Bound Student Athletes (PDF)
Ready to join the Wolves?
- Your first step is to sign up with the NCAA Eligibility Center and follow instructions for obtaining amateurism and if applicable academic certification.
- Complete Prospective Student-Athlete Questionnaire on the sport specific page of the UWG Athletics website
- Follow-up with the head coach via e-mail or by phone (contact information for all head coaches is available on the Staff Directory page of the UWG Athletics website).
If you need more information or have specific questions, please contact Laura Clayton Eady Associate Athletics Director for Compliance/SWA Phone: (678)-839-3964 E-mail: lclayton@westga.edu
