What's Ahead for CGA Student-Athletes in 2027

Crimson Global Academy (CGA) is an online high school with more than 200 student-athletes around the world, and 2027 brings more support for them. Some of it is already in place, like a wider range of AP subjects and SAT preparation for Grade 11 students. Some is still being planned, including a dedicated Athletics Counsellor for NCAA eligibility and course planning, a CGA Athletics Club, and a February-start US Diploma pathway for students in the Southern Hemisphere.

Tournaments don't wait for the school timetable, and neither does a flight to the next competition. Balancing school and sport is a big part of why families look at an online school like CGA.

Our athletes play football, gymnastics, swimming and diving, tennis, golf, equestrian, skiing and snowboarding, gaming, motocross, go-karting, martial arts, and more. Some join as early as Grade 6, when their sporting ambitions start to get serious.

We're seeing more full-time enrolments from ambitious student-athletes who want the flexibility to pursue sport at a high level without compromising on the quality of their education. Increasingly, families are making that decision earlier too, with students joining from as early as Grade 6, whether their goal is to turn professional, pursue recruitment at a US college through the NCAA, or simply see how far their talent can take them.

Peter Kim, Director of Athletics, Crimson Global Academy

That growth is why CGA created the Director of Athletics role. It puts more focus on the student-athlete experience and brings academics, university counselling, admissions, and student life closer together.

What's Coming for Online High School Student-Athletes in 2027

A Dedicated Athletics Counsellor for NCAA Eligibility

We're looking to add an Athletics Counsellor for families interested in competing at a US college through the NCAA (the National Collegiate Athletic Association). The role would help with academic eligibility, course planning, and recruitment timelines.

Early planning matters here. Course choices, graduation timing, and reclassification (changing the year a student graduates) can all affect NCAA eligibility later, and the NCAA's rules keep shifting. We'd like families to hear about changes early and make academic decisions at the right time. Our guide to the NCAA's biggest rule change in years is a good place to start.

A CGA Athletics Club to Connect Athletes Worldwide

We're also exploring a CGA Athletics Club, a place for student-athletes to meet beyond the classroom. Members could celebrate wins, swap training approaches, and hear from guest speakers on sports psychology, performance, building an online athlete profile and personal brand, and navigating athlete management and representation.

As the community grows, there's more chance for athletes to meet in person too, whether that's at tournaments, in training camps, or on CGA teams competing in school events. We've seen how that can work with CGA's online high school equestrian team, which brought students together to compete and represent CGA. We'd like to do the same in more sports.

More Academic Choice and Support

CGA recently expanded its Advanced Placement (AP) courses to 27 subjects, including AP Business with Personal Finance. AP Networking is planned for the 2027-28 academic year. We're also looking closely at electives that suit athletes, such as Health Psychology, Anatomy and Physiology, Entrepreneurship, and Social Media Business Marketing.

Grade 11 students can now also get SAT preparation (SAT is the standardised test many US colleges use for admissions) at no additional cost. For athletes aiming at US colleges, that puts another part of the admissions journey alongside their regular studies and training.

A February-Start US Diploma Pathway for the Southern Hemisphere

From 2027, we're planning a February-start US Diploma pathway for students in the Southern Hemisphere. It gives families in Australia, New Zealand, and elsewhere an alternative to the International A Level pathway, and it's another step toward making a CGA education genuinely accessible around the world.

A student shouldn't have to squeeze lessons into awkward hours, or build their training around a school in another time zone. This pathway gives them one more way to put both their education and their sport first.

A Flexible Online School That Keeps Adapting Around Its Students

Our global timetable runs across Asia-Pacific, the Americas, Europe, and the Middle East, with multiple class streams for many subjects. Students can combine live group classes, one-to-one instruction, and asynchronous learning, and move between them as their circumstances change.

Take a tennis player who follows a regular timetable for several months, then hits a busy tournament block with international travel and a completely different time zone. They don’t have to choose between school and competition. They change how and when they learn.

CGA also uses competency-based placement, so students study at their academic level rather than by age alone. With a wide range of subjects and two international curricula, families have real room to shape the pathway. For an athlete, flexible online learning means more control over when, where, and how they learn.

Solid Academic Results Behind the Flexibility

For 2027, CGA climbed to #2 in Niche’s Best Online High Schools in America rankings. Read more about CGA’s 2027 Niche ranking.

Our recent exam results sit well above the benchmarks too.

Explore CGA's latest exam results and academic outcomes.

Sport is one possible future among several. Whether it leads to NCAA competition, professional play, a leading university, or somewhere else entirely, a good education keeps those options open.

Meet Cindy: International Tennis and an Almost Perfect GPA

Cindy is a tennis player based in Shanghai, now in her third year at CGA. She competes internationally and keeps an almost perfect GPA, using CGA’s flexible learning options to stay on top of school through demanding training and tournament periods. Her goal is to compete at an NCAA Division I university in the US.

I chose CGA so I would have time for my tennis practices and my extracurriculars.

It’s the kind of balance we want for every CGA athlete: room to chase their sport without lowering their academic sights.

The Next Chapter for CGA Athletes

There's no single pathway for a student-athlete. Some are aiming for US college recruitment through the NCAA. Some hope to turn professional. Others want to see how far their sport can take them while their academic options stay open.

Whichever it is, CGA will keep building around it, with more specialist support, more academic choice, stronger connections between athletes, and a school experience that fits each student more closely.

Build the Right Academic Pathway for Your Athlete

Every athlete's situation is different. Speak with a CGA Admissions Officer about NCAA academic requirements, course selection, year-by-year planning, and moving to online schooling. We'll help you build a pathway around training, competition, and long-term university goals.