NCAA approves five-year, age-based eligibility rule

The NCAA Division I Cabinet on Tuesday unanimously approved a new rule allowing D-I student-athletes up to five years using an age-based model.

The new rule says D-I student-athletes are permitted up to five years of eligibility over five seasons if they enroll in college no later than the academic year of their 19^th birthday, eliminating season-of-competition limits, sport-specific eligibility and redshirt rules as well as eligibility extension waivers.

“While previous NCAA rules have served college sports well for a long time, we heard also loud and clear from NCAA members and student-athletes that eligibility rules should be easier to understand,” NCAA President Charlie Baker said.

“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.”

The rule change will be effective for all prospects initially enrolling full time in college in the fall of 2027 and beyond. Student-athletes who just completed their fourth season of eligibility without a redshirt would not be granted an additional year of eligibility.

For students enrolling full time in college for the first time this fall and current student-athletes with eligibility remaining after the 2025-26 school year, the previous rules will apply, which allow four seasons of competition within five years or the age-based model, whichever results in “the most favorable outcome for each individual,” the NCAA said.

“With these changes, the Cabinet has taken decisive action for the benefit of student-athletes and the system of NCAA Division I athletics,” Illinois Athletic Director and Cabinet Chair Josh Whitman said. “For many student-athletes who enroll in college immediately after high school, these changes will result in the opportunity to potentially compete for an additional season in their chosen sport. For campus officials and coaches, this change provides rules that are simpler to administer and easier to predict for roster management decisions.”