On Tuesday, the NCAA Division I Cabinet voted to unanimously approve a new eligibility policy dubbed the “age-based” eligibility model. The policy will be made official at the conclusion of NCAA cabinet meetings on Wednesday.
The new rule, which applies to all Division I sports, marks a major departure from the NCAA’s long-held model offering players five years to complete four seasons. Under the new rules, players will have five years to complete as many seasons of eligibility as possible starting on their 19th birthday or when they enroll in college, whichever comes first. There will be no redshirts, medical or otherwise, with few exceptions related to military service, pregnancy, or religious missions.
The model is, in part, an attempt to streamline eligibility rules in the wake of dozens of lawsuits challenging multiple aspects of NCAA eligibility policy, beginning with a lawsuit filed by former Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia in 2024. The policy also echoes an executive order signed by President Donald Trump in April, as well as policies offered in multiple pieces of legislation being considered in Congress.
The new eligibility model, broadly supported across college sports, did go through a major transformation during the NCAA’s approval process.
