Welcome to the University of Southern Indiana! As a prospective student-athlete (i.e., recruit), you have certain responsibilities to attend to before you join the USI family.
The links below include the NCAA Eligibility Center, National Letter of Intent, and SAT and ACT websites. All prospective student-athletes should visit these sites and become familiar with the requirements to participate as a Division II student-athlete. Probably one of the best sources of information can be found on our link to the NCAA College Bound Guide for the Prospective Student-Athlete. This guide will assist prospective student-athletes in navigating not only through the Eligibility Center, but also in recruitment situations and standardized testing.
If you are interested in competing in intercollegiate athletics at USI, please contact the head and/or assistant coach(es) for that sport. So you are aware, NCAA rules and regulations prohibit coaches and administrative personnel from sending letters, email, having contact in person or via telephone, or text messaging to high school students until after June 15 immediately preceding their junior year in high school. Prospective student-athletes are permitted to telephone coaches and administrators prior to June 15 immediately preceding their junior year in high school, but only at the prospect's own expense.
WARNING: If you are a student-athlete enrolled at another four-year institution or if you have been at another NCAA institution in the last year (Division I, II, Â or III), NCAA rules and regulations strictly prohibit us from having any communication with you, directly or indirectly, until you have been entered into the NCAA transfer portal. For NAIA student-athletes, USI must send a notification to your Director of Athletics prior to contact by our coaches.Â
Links:
2024-25 NCAA Guide for the College Bound Student-Athlete
2023-24 NCAA Guide to International Academic Standards for Athletics EligibilityÂ
FAFSA
National Letter of Intent (NLI)
NCAA 2-Year Transfer Information
NCAA 4-Year Transfer InformationÂ
NCAA Eligibility Center
NCAA Want to Play Sports in College
USI Admissions
USI Federal Graduation Rate
USI Scholarship and Financial Aid Estimator
Important Terms and Definitions:
Contact: Any face-to-face, off-campus encounter between you or your relatives and a university employee during which any dialogue in excess of a greeting occurs. Any encounter that is prearranged or that takes place on the grounds of the your school or at the site of organized competition or practice is considered a contact regardless of the conversation (including a greeting) that occurs.
Extra Benefit: Any special arrangement by an institution employee or donor to provide your or your relatives or friends a benefit not expressly authorized by NCAA legislation. Examples of extra benefits include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Cash or loans in any amount, or signing or cosigning for a loan
- Gifts of any kind, including birthday and holiday gifts
- Free or reduced-cost services such as car repairs, haircuts, tutoring, etc.
- The use of an automobile
- Free or reduced rent or housing
- Tickets to an athletic or community event
- Academic course supplies or assistance
- Arranging the employment of your relatives or friends or you
- Entertaining you or your relatives on or off campus
Evaluation: Any off-campus activity designed to assess the academic qualifications or athletics ability of you.
National Letter of Intent (NLI): Official documentation administered by the Collegiate Commissioners Association and used by universities to establish your commitment to attend a certain university. Once you sign an NLI, you may no longer be recruited by other NCAA institutions.Â
NCAA Eligibility Center: A central clearinghouse that certifies academic and amateurism eligibility for Division I and II student-athletes. The NCAA Eligibility Center uses high school courses and test scores (ACT/SAT) to determine freshman academic eligibility and uses information provided to determine amateurism for all freshman and transfers from NCAA Division III, NAIA, and NJCAA institutions.
Prospective Student-Athlete (i.e., recruit): You become a prospective student-athlete when you start ninth-grade classes. Before the ninth-grade, you become a prospective student-athlete if a university gives you (or your relatives or friends) any financial assistance or other benefits that the university does not provide to prospective students generally.
Recruited Student-Athlete: You become a recruited prospective student-athlete at a particular university if any coach or representative of the university's athletics interest (i.e., donor) approaches you (or any member of your family) about enrolling and participating in athletics at that university. Activities by coaches or donors that cause you to become a recruited prospective student-athlete are: (1) providing you with an official visit, (2) placing more than one telephone call to you or any other member of your family, or (3) visiting you or any other member of your family anywhere other than the university's campus.
