The NCAA Division I Board of Directors has officially recommended that the Division I Cabinet advance talks on new rules that would give athletes five total years of eligibility.
The new concept would still need to go through more discussions and approval, but it would essentially give athletes five years of eligibility beginning the regular academic year after they turn 19 or graduate from high school, whichever happens first.
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Virginia Tech president and board member Tim Sands spoke on the potential change.
“The time is now to reform the period of eligibility rules to provide Division I student-athletes and our schools clear and consistent standards that align with current college athletes’ experiences,” Sands said. “The board fully supports student-athletes receiving the unprecedented financial benefits now available to them and emphasized these changes would protect opportunities for high school student-athletes to access the benefits only college sports can provide, while delivering predictable outcomes for student-athletes and our schools.”
In one of the more significant details of the concept, current athletes who will run out of eligibility after Spring 2026 would not be grandfathered in. This is huge for roster decisions as it means current players will still be restricted to the current rules.
The new structure would be very simple. It would give athletes five years to play five seasons with virtually no medical exemptions or redshirts. The only exemptions given would be for religious missionary work, pregnancy or military service.
While the new rule still has hurdles to clear, the Division I Cabinet is expected to discuss it more in May.
James Parker contributed to this story.
