The NCAA Division I Board of Directors has indicated it will not change the new age-based eligibility rule, a policy that has led to several student-athletes filing lawsuits to extend their college careers. The board reaffirmed its commitment to the rule, emphasizing its broad support among the Division I membership and the thoughtful process behind its design and implementation strategy.
Last month, the Division I Cabinet approved the new rule, which limits athletes to five seasons of competition within a five-year period. This period begins with full-time enrollment or the academic year following the athlete's 19th birthday, whichever comes first. The rule significantly restricts waivers or redshirt years for extended eligibility, with exceptions only for religious missions, pregnancy, or active-duty military service. Extensions will no longer be granted for injuries.
Athletes who would have been eligible for a fifth year of competition under the traditional model—four years of play over five years—will not be granted that extension under the new rules, which take effect this fall. This provision was the catalyst for the initial lawsuit filed in Ohio.
In response to the legal actions, the NCAA board stated, "The Board has no plans to modify their application, notwithstanding a series of lawsuits recently filed on behalf of student-athletes with no remaining eligibility. We look forward to ensuring that the age-based eligibility rules are enforced consistently so that all institutions play by the same rules, like all participants in sports."
A judge in Ohio granted a preliminary injunction in the first lawsuit, allowing the affected players to enter the transfer portal. The case is now proceeding to trial, and other athletes nationwide have also secured preliminary injunctions.
SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey previously commented on the rule, noting that the conference supported it despite some reservations about its timing. He mentioned discussions around the Protect College Sports Act in the Senate as a potential avenue for addressing such issues. Sankey also suggested that the conference had not been presented with data to strongly justify the rule change, stating, "We got on a fast track in this environment because … people are looking for solutions. That doesn’t mean there are solutions but it’s just ‘Oh, what we’re doing isn’t working. There’s so many waivers, there’s so much controversy about eligibility, this must be better.’ But we’re not sure if it is."
The NCAA's stance suggests a firm resolve to enforce the new eligibility framework uniformly across all its member institutions.