NCAA panel approves new eligibility rules giving Division I athletes 5 years to play 5 seasons

[JAHS]

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NCAA panel approves new eligibility rules giving Division I athletes 5 years to play 5 seasons

The NCAA Division I Cabinet unanimously approved an age-based, five-year eligibility model on Tuesday that's set to replace an existing model that allowed four seasons of competition over five years with no age restrictions.

The change isn't final until the Division I Cabinet's meeting concludes on Wednesday, but the rule change is poised to go into effect for all prospects initially enrolling full-time in college in fall 2027 or later. For incoming 2026 class members and current student-athletes with eligibility remaining, Division I schools will apply whichever eligibility model is most beneficial for each individual.

The age-based model will start student-athletes' eligibility clocks when they first enroll in college full-time or at the beginning of the academic year following their 19th birthday, whichever takes place first.

The existing eligibility model has drawn criticism in recent years due to the manipulation of the waiver system and the surge of athletes in their mid-20s creating roster logjams. Under the age-based eligibility model, waivers — including those previously granted for hardships — and redshirts will be eliminated.

"This change to an age-based model eliminates aspects of the rules that have proven difficult to administer in the current litigious environment and clearly defines the exceptions available in limited circumstances, while preserving the long-intended alignment of eligibility with typical college enrollment and graduation patterns, because 98% of the 550,000 NCAA student-athletes will go pro in something other than sports."

Missionaries not to worry:

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As for the exceptions Baker alluded to, those include pregnancy, active-duty military service and official religious missions. Student-athletes in that bucket could delay or pause their eligibility under the age-based model.

An exception, administered by the NCAA Eligibility Center, will be available as long as the qualifying student-athlete doesn't participate in organized competition in that time.

 

[longview]

Logjam? What are the rules for limiting the sizes of rosters?

[The Nehor]

9 hours ago, longview said:

Logjam? What are the rules for limiting the sizes of rosters?

The new rule is you can play for four seasons over a period of five years with much more limited waivers.

The shift to profit sharing with the athletes (about time1) means many students have an incentive to delay leaving college to make more money. This is designed to cut down on older players crowding out new ones by staying longer.

The new rules will probably face some court challenges.