The NCAA has long allowed athletes five years to have up to four seasons of competition, but legal challenges and other recent changes have muddied the answer of who's eligible to play college sports. Andy Lyons / Getty ImagesJune 23, 2026 Updated 2:49 pm EDTNCAA Division I athletes will be allowed five years of competition in their college careers instead of four, with redshirts and waivers eliminated after the much-discussed eligibility changes were unanimously approved on Tuesday by the D-I Cabinet.What the NCAA is calling its “age-based eligibility model” is expected to go into effect for athletes who have eligibility years remaining following the completion of the 2025-26 academic year. Athletes whose fourth season of eligibility was completed by spring 2026 will not be able to take advantage of the new rule, according to recommendations made by the cabinet in previous discussions of the rule.The move is intended to limit the increasing number of athletes who participate in college sports beyond five years and into their mid-20s by using waivers to gain additional seasons. The new rule will start athletes’ eligibility clock when they first enroll in college or at the beginning of the academic year following their 19th birthday, whichever occurs earlier.