The NCAA might have changed athletics forever with a major eligibility change. The NCAA DI Cabinet passed a 5-year eligibility model. This gives college athletes five years of eligibility. No longer will players get redshirt seasons or extensions. Also, the waivers granted to players for extra years will be eliminated with this rule. This gives players 5 years of eligibility starting from their 19th birthday. This is an effective way to end all the waivers and extra years of eligibility players have been given by courts and the NCAA over the years.
The NCAA DI Cabinet has unanimously voted to adopt the age-based eligibility policy, per Yahoo Sports' @RossDellenger.
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) June 23, 2026
The new policy starts an athlete’s clock upon either their initial enrollment in college or the start of the academic year after their 19th birthday, whichever… pic.twitter.com/DIJo9zLqvm
A prime example of the problem with eligibility was the cases involving Trinidad Chambliss and Diego Pavia. Pavia last season, and Chambliss for this season. They both effectively sued in court to gain an extra year of eligibility. It's because the NCAA has given waivers to players over the years. It created a system for players; if eligibility was lost, they could sue in court to regain eligibility.
This rule could be challenged in court, but the policy seems like an effective way to fix the system of eligibility. Allowing players to get 5 years of playing is a great opportunity for football players at the highest level. It should clean up all the craziness surrounding eligibility for College Football players.
Redshirting is something that will change as well. Redshirting used to be an effective tool for players to sit back, learn, and grow as players. Over the last several years, redshirting players has gone away as freshman players have played earlier than ever. Still, this is a radical change, knowing that players entering College will have 5 years to play and not have a year of redshirting.
The NCAA has long struggled with the changing landscape of college athletics. This is, along with the transfer portal rule, that effectively only allowed a winter transfer portal window, two positive steps. Creating an age-based eligibility like this will help College Athletes effectively start their careers and have 5 years to complete. It is a common-sense approach to College Athletes.
As for College Football, this is a welcome change. Coaches and players can effectively plan their careers together. No longer will players be running to a local court to gain eligibility. No longer will players and coaches be waiting for the NCAA to grant waivers. This will be a radical change for college athletes. This is a positive situation for everyone involved in College Football and other sports as a whole.
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