September 5, 2025

College Sports Eligibility: Most Common Questions Answered

Recruiting expert Phillip Liedgens breaks down what athletes need to know about eligibility rules

Securing a U.S. college sports scholarship begins with understanding eligibility requirements—and timing is everything. We spoke with Phillip Liedgens, Director of Operations at Keystone Sports Germany, who shares his extensive expertise on the subject. Discover more about college sports eligibility in our interview with him.

Dreaming of playing your sport at a US university? For many young athletes, a college scholarship feels like the golden ticket: the chance to combine academics with high-level competition. But before you can put on a college jersey, you need to meet the college eligibility rules.

College sports eligibility rules refer to the academic and athletic requirements student-athletes must meet in order to participate in NCAA, NAIA, or NJCAA competitions. Without meeting these conditions, even the most talented athletes could miss their shot at competing in US college sports.

Eligibility has been making headlines in recent months, with the NCAA updating rules that affect both international and domestic athletes. These changes can open up new pathways, but they also create confusion about what’s required.

To help make sense of it all, we spoke with Phillip Liedgens, Director of Operations at Keystone Sports Germany. Phillip founded the first college recruiting service in Europe back in 2002.

Today, with more than 20 years in the industry, he is regarded as one of the foremost experts on navigating the US college recruiting system. In this conversation, Phillip shares practical insights on college sports eligibility rules and the recruitment process.

When do student-athletes need to start the recruitment process?

That depends a little. Ideally, you would start thinking about this four years before you want to go to college. That way, you can make sure you have all the school courses covered. Of course, that’s the ideal case. Many international students start later simply because they didn’t know about the opportunity earlier.

Still, I usually recommend starting at least one to two years before the beginning of college. That gives you enough time to set things on the right track. My best advice is: start before you graduate from secondary school. Don’t wait until afterwards, because in many cases that’s too late.

The longer you wait, the fewer universities you’ll be able to work with. We’ve managed cases where someone came to us just three months before starting college, and we still made it happen. But that puts a lot of stress on everyone, and there’s always the risk it might not work out. So, the best advice is: start the process at least one to two years in advance.

Is there any type of documentation that they can prepare before starting the process?

The very first thing you can send us is your most recent transcript. With that, we can review your classes and apply the NCAA and NAIA grade conversion systems. That way, we can take your grades and understand what they mean in the US system.

Then we can give you solid feedback: Do you need to improve certain core courses? Do you need to strengthen specific subjects or raise your overall GPA?

From there, we also look at your sporting background: which clubs you’ve played for, at what level, and whether there’s any potential conflict with NCAA eligibility rules. If there is, we’ll figure out what can be done to address it.

What kind of conflicts can arise?

This mainly refers to the amateurism definition. To compete in the NCAA and receive an athletic scholarship, you must be considered an amateur athlete according to the NCAA definition.

The higher the level you’ve played at, the more carefully we need to examine the details. That includes contracts, potential ties to agents, earnings from your sport, sponsorships, or awards you’ve received. All of these factors need to be reviewed to ensure everything is in order and compliant with NAIA or NCAA regulations.

What can be confusing for international students about college sports eligibility rules?

The NCAA and the NAIA have definitions of amateurism that are quite different from how we define amateur or professional sports in Europe. This can lead to confusion.

For the most part, European sports systems are unfamiliar to the NCAA or NAIA representatives who make the decisions. We help them get the complete picture.

We have a really good relationship with the NCAA, which helps in tricky cases. If questions come up, we pick up the phone, explain the situation, and work it through together. Usually, we ask schools or clubs for written confirmation of an athlete’s background, and with the support of the universities, we find a solution that works for everyone.

What could happen if these eligibility rules are not followed correctly?

If you don’t comply with college sports eligibility rules, there can be different consequences. Sometimes it just means you have to sit out the first one or two matches of your first season. That’s not too dramatic.

But it can also mean missing a full season, with no matches, no training, and no scholarship money. Usually, that ends the plan to go to college, because if you can’t receive a scholarship, the whole project becomes too expensive. And of course, as an aspiring athlete, you don’t want to sit still for a year and not compete.

That’s why we work so diligently with our athletes. From the very first counselling session, we talk about their eligibility—where they currently stand and what their plan is. Then, together, we create a timeline and a clear roadmap of what to do and what not to do on the road to college. This ensures they can be successful, receive the best scholarship possible, and make the most of their college experience.

What have been the biggest changes in college sports rules over the past years?

Well, there have been many changes, and probably the most significant ones have happened recently.

Just a few weeks ago, there was a settlement that allowed universities to pay athletes a salary. This doesn’t apply to all sports or all athletes, but students are now not only dependent on scholarships—they can actually receive payment.

Additionally, since 2021, athletes have had the opportunity to sign NIL deals. These are essentially advertising agreements that individual athletes can have with sponsors. Previously, this wasn’t possible, as all deals had to go through the university.

These two developments clearly show a shift towards a more professional approach in NCAA sports, providing additional benefits to athletes. Of course, this doesn’t benefit every athlete in every sport, and there are also some negative implications. But overall, college sports are moving away from pure amateurism towards a more money-driven, professional model.

Speaking of this settlement, what challenges might it create?

The biggest challenge right now is that student-athletes can earn money from NIL deals, but the visa regulations haven’t been updated yet. This means international students might not be able to take advantage of this income without violating their current visa status.

We are waiting for the administration to adjust visa regulations so that international athletes can legally receive money from NIL deals. This is a normal situation: when one rule changes, it triggers adjustments in other rules, and that takes time.

What advice would you give to student-athletes starting the recruitment process?

My advice is: don’t underestimate the eligibility part of the process. You might be the best athlete out there, but if you start the college process too late or don’t have guidance on eligibility, it can damage your chances. Once eligibility issues arise, it’s really tough to reverse the situation and get reinstated. This can even end your dream of becoming a college athlete.

That’s why my best advice is to handle eligibility early and consult an expert who knows the rules thoroughly. With the right guidance, it’s much easier to avoid hidden pitfalls.

As Phillip Liedgens pointed out, eligibility isn’t just about athletic talent—it’s about preparation, timing, and understanding the rules. Starting early, keeping your documents in order, and seeking the right guidance can make the difference in securing a scholarship and staying eligible.

At Keystone Sports, we have guided over 15,000 athletes through the recruitment journey—helping them navigate eligibility requirements, manage paperwork, and connect with the right universities.

Ready to take the next step towards a sports scholarship? Complete our free evaluation form and start your journey to the US.

Share this article: