The NCAA Division I Council has approved an age-based eligibility model that will affect how student-athletes’ competitive eligibility is measured, starting with those enrolling in college in the fall of 2027 or later. Under the new system, athletes will be allowed five seasons of competition within a five-year window that begins when they turn 19 or enroll in college, whichever occurs first.
This rule replaces a prior proposal announced in April, which would have started eligibility from a player’s expected high school graduation or 19th birthday. The initial plan faced immediate opposition from the hockey community, where many players delay college enrollment to play additional years in junior hockey leagues. Following concerns raised by stakeholders such as the American Hockey Coaches Association (AHCA) and the Hockey Commissioners Association, the NCAA agreed to modify the eligibility clock to begin at college enrollment rather than from the earlier date.
The age-based model will be an option alongside the previous eligibility framework—a structure allowing four seasons of competition over five years—for athletes enrolling in 2026-27 or those currently with remaining eligibility. Schools can choose whichever framework better suits the athlete’s circumstances.
The NCAA’s move to revise eligibility rules comes amid a surge of litigation challenging its current policies. Over 60 lawsuits related to eligibility issues have been filed in the past year. However, new legal action seems imminent, as sports attorneys Darren Heitner and Ryan Downton announced a lawsuit filed Wednesday on behalf of roughly 50 basketball players who completed their fourth season in 2025-26 but were denied a fifth year of competition. Heitner criticized the NCAA for “arbitrary” enforcement of its rules and stated their intent to hold the organization accountable.
In response, the Division I Council emphasized that student-athletes exhausting their eligibility this year have received the full duration permitted under NCAA bylaws. The council warned that granting additional eligibility would disrupt team rosters ahead of the upcoming season and unsettle expectations for current and incoming athletes. Representatives from all autonomy conferences unanimously supported maintaining the current policy and expressed no plans to alter it despite ongoing legal challenges.
The policy shift and ensuing lawsuits highlight ongoing tensions as the NCAA seeks to balance evolving governance with athletes’ rights and competitive fairness in college sports.