Athletics Counseling

The California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) establishes the rules and regulations for intercollegiate athletic activities in the state of California. The content below provides a general outline of CCCAA student-athlete eligibility. The full CCCAA bylaw on “Student-Athlete Eligibility” is available at this link. Please schedule an appointment with our Athletic Counselor to discuss your specific situation and eligibility status.

To be eligible, you must:

• Maintain an overall 2.0 GPA after you participate in a sport.
• Be enrolled in a minimum of 12 units to participate in intercollegiate sports.
  • Of the 12 units, 9 must be academic courses counting toward an Associate's degree, remediation, transfer, and/or certification as defined by the College Catalog and consistent with your Educational Plan.
• Complete 24 units between seasons with a 2.0 GPA in those courses, and successfully complete at least 6 units during the most recent academic term as a full-time student.
  • Of the 24 units, 18 must be academic courses counting toward an Associate's degree, remediation, transfer, and/or certification as defined by the College Catalog and consistent with your Educational Plan.
• Have a Student Education Plan (SEP) on file with the Athletic Counselor.

To be eligible as a Transfer Student-Athlete from another California Community College, you must:

• Meet the residency rule. If you competed your first season at another California Community College and will play your second season at Butte College, you must complete 12 units in residence at Butte College before participating. This must total 24 units between seasons with a 2.0 GPA.
• Have a 2.0 GPA and complete at least 6 units during the most recent academic term as a full-time student.
• Provide an official transcript from the transferring college to verify grades and units.

To be eligible as a Transfer Student-Athlete from a 4-Year University or Out-of-State Community College, you must:

• Complete 24 units since the last season of play.
• Have a 2.0 GPA from your first season of participation.
• Note: If you enrolled but did not compete, the unit requirement does not apply.
• The residency requirement does not apply.

The content below provides a general outline of student-athlete eligibility. Please schedule an appointment with our Athletic Counselor to discuss your specific situation and eligibility status.

The NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) and the NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) are governing bodies that create and enforce rules for intercollegiate athletics. NCAA and NAIA eligibility criteria differ, and NCAA requirements also vary among its subdivisions (Division I, II, and III).

NCAA Division I Transfer Outline

1. Determine your NCAA Qualifier or Non-Qualifier status

It’s important to understand your NCAA status to receive proper advising. If you didn’t register with the NCAA Eligibility Center in high school or don’t have official documentation as a qualifier, you are considered a non-qualifier by default.

Visit the NCAA Eligibility Center dashboard to check your status: Eligibility Center.

2. Fulfill the Division I academic requirements

If you’re a Qualifier:

• Complete at least one full-time semester at Butte College (summer/winter terms do not count).
• Earn an average of 12 transferable units for each full-time semester attended.
• Achieve a minimum GPA of 2.50 in those transferable units.
• No more than 2 units of PE activity courses can count toward credit or GPA requirements.

If you’re a Non-Qualifier:

• Graduate from Butte College with an AA or AS degree (25% of units must be completed at Butte).
• Complete at least three full-time semesters (excluding summer/winter).
• Complete a minimum of 48 transferable units toward a degree, including:
  • English: 6 semester units (ENGL 2 or 3 and ENGL 11 or 4)
  • Math: 3 semester units (MATH 18, 11, 26, etc.)
  • Science: 3 semester units (lab recommended but not required)
• Earn a minimum GPA of 2.50 in transferable units.
• No more than 2 units of PE activity courses can count toward credit or GPA requirements.

3. Understand your eligibility clock

Division I athletes have five calendar years to play four seasons. The five-year clock starts when you first enroll full-time (12 or more units) at Butte College and continues regardless of redshirting, sitting out a year, attending part-time, or taking time off from school. If you're unsure about this rule, talk to your coach or Athletic Counselor before enrolling full-time.

4. 40/60/80 Rule

To maintain eligibility at a Division I school, student-athletes must meet Progress Toward Degree requirements:

• Complete 40% of a degree program by the end of four full-time terms.
• Complete 60% by the end of six full-time terms.
• Complete 80% by the end of eight full-time terms.

A 6th full-time term is not recommended for D-1 transfer.