A long-discussed five-year eligibility ruling for NCAA D1 athletes has been unanimously approved, paving the way for significant changes moving forward.
The Division 1 Cabinet unanimously voted on Tuesday to approve an “age-based eligibility model“. More specifically, that D1 athletes would have five years of eligibility, beginning the academic year after they turn 19 years old or graduate high school. whichever happens first.
This new model would replace the current four-year system, which has come under scrutiny recently for the myriad of waivers and extra eligibility requests that have resulted in some athletes receiving a fifth, sixth, seventh, or — in some of the most extreme cases — an eighth season of eligibility for various reasons.
Slated to officially become the law of the land following the conclusion of the cabinet’s meeting on Wednesday, moving forward, waivers would only be granted for “pregnancy, official religious missions and active-duty military service.”
The rule would tentatively go into effect following the completion of the 2025-2026 academic year, meaning athletes completing their fourth season of eligibility this year would not be eligible to take advantage of the new rule, something which could spark challenges of its own.