Mid-20s college athletes will soon be headed for the job portal — not the transfer portal or courtrooms.
The NCAA Division I Cabinet unanimously approved an “age-based eligibility model” or "five-for-five rule" on Tuesday that would give athletes five years of competition instead of the traditional four, while eliminating redshirts and most eligibility waivers.
The Division I Cabinet has unanimously voted to approve the age-based eligibility model. Additional details to follow.
— NCAA News (@NCAA_PR) June 23, 2026
The Cabinet’s decision is not final until its meeting concludes Wednesday.
The change is expected to apply to athletes with remaining eligibility after the 2025-26 academic year. Athletes whose fourth season concluded in spring 2026 would not be eligible under the new structure, according to earlier cabinet guidance.
The intent of the rule is to curb the growing trend of college athletes competing into their mid-20s by stacking waivers and extended eligibility seasons. Under the new model, an athlete’s eligibility clock would begin in the academic year after they turn 19 or graduate high school, whichever comes first.
It marks a major shift away from the long-standing structure that allowed five years to complete four seasons of competition, typically with a redshirt year built in. That framework has been increasingly stretched by rule changes that allow partial-season redshirting, expanded injury waivers and COVID-era eligibility relief granted to all athletes in 2020. Legal challenges have also influenced the system, including a blanket waiver for junior college transfers following former Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia’s 2024 lawsuit.
While further legal pushback is possible, the NCAA has largely been successful in defending its eligibility rules in court.
The Division I Cabinet’s decision is not final until its meeting concludes Wednesday, but approval would mark a major reset of college sports’ eligibility system and end the era of ever-expanding waivers and five-plus-year careers.
