NCAA age eligibility rule stays put as board rejects changes

The NCAA age eligibility rule is staying on track for this fall, with the Division I Board of Directors saying Thursday it has no plans to change how the new system will be applied despite a growing run of lawsuits by athletes seeking more college seasons.

The board’s statement, reported by the Associated Press, keeps Division I leaders aligned with the Division I Cabinet, which approved the rule last month and had already defended it after basketball players sued in Ohio state court.

Those players argued that the new age-based model unfairly blocks them from further competition. Since then, the AP reported, additional lawsuits have been filed around the country, and athletes in some cases have secured preliminary injunctions.

The board said it was “encouraged” by what it described as broad Division I support for the new eligibility structure. It also said the rule was designed with care and unanimously backed by the Cabinet, including student-athlete members.

“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,” the board said Thursday, according to the AP. The board added that it wants the rules enforced consistently so schools compete under the same standards.

What is the NCAA age eligibility rule?

The new rule allows college athletes five seasons of competition during a five-year window. That clock starts when an athlete enrolls full time or in the academic year after the athlete turns 19, whichever comes first.

The policy sharply limits the old path to extra eligibility. Under the AP’s report, waivers and redshirt years for extended competition are largely removed, with exceptions for religious missions, pregnancy and active-duty military service. Injury-based extensions will no longer be considered.

Athletes whose eligibility ran out by spring 2026 under the former system, which allowed four seasons of competition over five years, will not get a fifth season under the new rules scheduled to begin this fall.

Why are athletes suing over the rule?

The Ohio case was triggered by that cutoff, according to the AP. A judge issued a preliminary injunction that allowed the basketball players involved to enter the transfer portal, and the case is now headed toward trial.

Other athletes in separate cases have also won preliminary injunctions. The board’s statement signals that Division I officials do not intend to respond to those early court losses by changing the rule across the board.

That posture differs from the NCAA’s response after former Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia won in court in 2024. After that ruling, the NCAA gave an additional year to athletes who had played at non-NCAA schools for at least one season and were nearing the end of their eligibility.

The new rule has also drawn concern inside college sports leadership. SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey told the AP earlier this week that his conference ultimately supported the rule, though some leaders had concerns about the timing.

Sankey said there had been a belief that the Protect College Sports Act, a proposal circulating in the Senate, might address the issue. He also told the AP the conference had not been given data to support the change.

“We got on a fast track in this environment because ... people are looking for solutions,” Sankey said. He added that uncertainty remains over whether the new approach will be better than the waiver-heavy system it is replacing.

This story draws on original reporting from ESPN.com.