The NCAA Division I Cabinet unanimously approved a new five-year, age-based eligibility model Tuesday.
Under the new rule, athletes in all sports will be given five years of eligibility over five seasons once their college eligibility clock begins. The clock starts upon initial full-time enrollment in college or at the beginning of the academic year following their 19th birthday, whichever occurs first.
The move is meant to eliminate the need for redshirts and waivers, which have drawn scrutiny in recent years as athletes have sued the NCAA challenging eligibility rules.
"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.
Athletes who just completed their fourth season of eligibility without a redshirt would not be granted an additional year. Schools will have flexibility in determining whether to use previous eligibility rules or the new age-based model for athletes with eligibility remaining after the 2025-26 academic year.
Prospects who graduated in spring 2026 will use the age-based model.
"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."
