NCAA proposing major changes to eligibility rules, including age limits
The NCAA is considering a significant change to its eligibility rules. An NCAA committee next week is expected to explore a new age-based standard for athlete eligibility as part of a proposal that’s been in the works for weeks, but only recently has been socialized with high-level conference and school administrators. Those with knowledge of the proposal spoke to Yahoo Sports under condition of anonymity.
According to the concept, NCAA athletes would have five full years of eligibility from the time of their 19th birthday or their high school graduation, whichever is earliest. No waiver requests, redshirts or exceptions will be permitted, except for a small group of outliers (those on maternity leave, military service or religious missions). Members of the NCAA Division I Cabinet are set to review the proposal at their meeting next week.
While a timeline for approval remains unclear — it is likely weeks or months away — the legislation is considered an urgent matter with potential for implementation as soon as this coming academic year (fall 2026). Any implementation is expected to be phased in as is the case with most new NCAA policy. For instance, leaders will take strides to avoid adversely impacting any current athlete’s long-term eligibility under existing rules.
What’s unclear is if those players completing or having completed their final, fourth season of eligibility will regain a fifth season if they fall within the new policy’s five-year window. The policy seeks to bring some semblance of stability to a growing landscape of inconsistent court rulings regarding eligibility. Though it predates President Donald Trump’s executive order , the proposal aligns with a concept embedded in Trump’s Friday announcement, which instructed the NCAA to pass legislation over a variety of issues, including a five-year eligibility standard for athletes.
NCAA president Charlie Baker (left) sits next to Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) during a roundtable discussion about the future of college sports at White House on March 6, 2026. (Photo by Brendan SMIALOWSKI / AFP via Getty Images) BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI via Getty Images For months now, conference executives and school administrators have urged NCAA officials to find a solution for what’s evolved into one of college athletics’ most festering issues.
Continue to the original source for the full article.