The US College Pathway has become an increasingly popular pathway for Australian athletes to continue their basketball and educational development. It provides a great opportunity to not only transition from high school and junior basketball eg VJBL, to senior competition, whether that be semi or professional basketball (domestic or overseas) but also provides the opportunity to secure a university degree in a chosen field, often at no cost. To be eligible to compete in the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) athletes need to firstly register with NCAA Eligibility Centre and then be talented enough to compete at one of the levels available eg Division 1, 2 or 3. Division 1 is the highest level of college basketball and also the most restrictive academically so it is important for athletes to not only commit to working on their game during their high school years but also commit to their studies and complete the required core courses, of which there are 16 between year 9 and year 12. They also need to complete a standardised test, usually the SAT and receive the required minimum score to be eligible. If the NCAA is not an option for whatever reason, there are other associations available to Australian athletes eg NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) which has its own eligibility requirements and the NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) which simply requires a high school graduation certificate. Over the last few years there have been some changes to the college landscape that have made it more difficult for international, including Australian athletes to secure these opportunities. The main reason for this has been the effect of COVID 19 which has limited the ability for Australian athletes to visit the US and has also limited the ability for US College coaches to visit Australia. There have also been some NCAA rule changes that have made recruitment of Australian athletes more difficult, namely the additional year of eligibility offered to all college athletes affected by COVID 19 and a season that was almost entirely cancelled and a relaxation of rules pertaining to transferring from one college to another. That said, as we move forward into 2023, recruitment is slowly returning to a pre COVID norm with college coaches once again visiting Australia to recruit and the rules brought in by the NCAA and their effects slowly trickling out, once again providing a great opportunity for Australian athletes to pursue the US College pathway. If you would like to receive more detailed information and guidance in navigating this pathway, we at Basketball Australia Pathways would be very keen to assist. Please feel free to contact us on the details below: Darren Smith (Chief Executive Officer) E: darren.smith@bapathways.com.au P: 0405 504 718 Adrian Newall (Chief Operating Officer) E: adrian.newall@bapathways.com.au P: 0433 999 941
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