NCAA approves five-year age-based eligibility for Division I

The NCAA has approved a major overhaul of its eligibility rules for Division I athletes, shifting to a simpler, age-based model designed to reduce legal challenges and administrative chaos. The Division I Cabinet voted unanimously on Tuesday, June 23, to adopt a system granting athletes five seasons of competition over a five-year period, replacing the previous rule that allowed five years to complete four seasons.

Under the new model, an athlete’s five-year eligibility clock will start upon their initial full-time college enrollment or at the beginning of the academic year following their 19th birthday, whichever occurs first. The rule is set to take effect this fall. It will effectively eliminate waivers and redshirt years for extended eligibility, except for specific exemptions including religious missions, pregnancy, or active-duty military service. Extensions will no longer be granted for injuries.

The change aims to address a surge in legal actions and waiver requests that have followed the expansion of athlete compensation and transfer rights. Last academic year, the NCAA reportedly faced more than 70 lawsuits from athletes denied among roughly 1,450 waiver requests,...