What is the role of the NCAA Eligibility Center?

The NCAA Eligibility Center plays a crucial role in overseeing the academic and amateurism standards required for student-athletes who wish to participate in NCAA sports. Its primary responsibility is to evaluate the eligibility of these athletes based on their academic performance, standardized test scores, and adherence to NCAA rules regarding amateurism. The Eligibility Center ensures that student-athletes have met the necessary criteria before they can compete at the collegiate level, which includes confirming that they have completed the required coursework in high school and achieved the minimum GPA and test scores.

The focus of the NCAA Eligibility Center is specifically on eligibility, making it distinct from other functions such as organizing recruitment events, providing academic advising, or managing athletic scholarships, which are handled by different departments and organizations within the collegiate sports framework. Therefore, the center's main purpose in verifying eligibility aligns directly with the chosen answer.