NCAA approves 5-for-5 eligibility model, hoping to clear up court battles
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The NCAA has adopted an additional modification that will change the landscape of college athletics.
The NCAA announced on Tuesday that the Division I Cabinet has unanimously voted to approve the age-based eligibility model, where an athlete’s five-year eligibility clock would start upon full-time enrollment at a university or at the beginning of the academic year following their 19th birthday, whichever comes first.
Though it was announced on Tuesday that it was unanimously approved, it will not become finalized until Wednesday, the final day of the Division I Cabinet’s meeting.
It’s a notable modification by the NCAA, and one that comes after several eligibility-based lawsuits have been played out in courtrooms, mostly coming in college football or men’s basketball. Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss won his eligibility battle against the NCAA in a Mississippi court with the judge ruling the NCAA “acted in bad faith” to deny him a retroactive medical redshirt year of eligibility for when he sat out the 2022 season at Division II Ferris State due to a medical issue. Meanwhile, Tennessee quarterback Joey Aguilar lost his case.
As noted by USA TODAY’s Mitchell Northam in May, the “5-for-5” eligibility model would also eliminate traditional redshirts and waivers for extra eligibility, aside from special circumstances like pregnancy, military service or religious missions.
The change will not be applied to athletes who completed their fourth season of college eligibility by the conclusion of the spring 2026 season. For student-athletes who are currently enrolled and have eligibility after this past calendar year, there is flexibility for schools to either be able to apply the new eligibility model or continue with the old model, with the deciding factor being which model is better suited for the athlete.
Incoming freshmen will automatically be enrolled into the “5-for-5” eligibility model.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NCAA adopts ‘5-for-5’ eligibility model, pending final approval
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