The NCAA is weighing a sweeping overhaul of how long college athletes can compete — and this time, the clock would start ticking the moment they leave high school.
The Indianapolis-based organization confirmed Wednesday it is exploring a move to an age-based eligibility model that would give athletes a five-year window to compete in Division I, starting immediately after their high school graduation or 19th birthday, whichever comes first.
The Division I Cabinet discussed the proposal at meetings that wrapped up Wednesday but did not vote on whether to take a formal position. The Cabinet’s next meeting is scheduled for May 22.
Under the current system, athletes are granted four playing seasons over a five-year calendar, with the option to regain a season of eligibility through a redshirt or waiver request.
What’s driving the change?
The push comes amid a wave of legal challenges. The NCAA is fighting dozens of lawsuits from athletes seeking extended eligibility, some of which their own member schools support. Differing rulings from federal and local judges have left a divided and frustrated membership.
Last academic year, the NCAA received 1,450 waiver requests for extended eligibility. The association granted two-thirds of those. Of those not granted — around 500 — more than 70 resulted in lawsuits.
The age-based model also aligns with an executive order issued by President Donald Trump on April 3, which instructed the NCAA to pass legislation on several issues including a five-year eligibility standard.
What else changed Wednesday?
The Cabinet adopted a slate of changes to pre-enrollment eligibility rules, effective immediately for prospects enrolling during the 2026-27 academic year.
Among those changes: a rule now bars athletes who have entered and remained in a professional sports draft from competing in college. Prospects must withdraw from opt-in professional league drafts, including the NBA draft, by legislated deadlines — bringing pre-college enrollment draft rules in line with post-college enrollment draft rules. Men’s ice hockey and baseball are not affected because athletes don’t opt in to those sports’ drafts.
The rule change was spurred in part by high-profile eligibility controversies involving two big men this season. Baylor’s James Nnaji — the No. 31 pick in the 2023 NBA draft by the Detroit Pistons — became the first drafted men’s basketball player cleared to play college basketball after enrolling with the Bears in December 2025. Nnaji never signed an NBA contract and had instead played professionally in Europe, factors that allowed him to meet existing NCAA eligibility criteria. Alabama’s Charles Bediako, who went undrafted after the 2023 NBA draft and signed a two-way contract with the San Antonio Spurs before spending time in the G League, played five games for the Crimson Tide under a temporary restraining order before a judge denied his motion for a preliminary injunction in February, ending his college career.
Athletes also gained new rights. Prospects are now permitted to sign with professional sports agents prior to college enrollment and can accept prize money in their respective sports without impacting eligibility.
What comes next?
Any age-based model would include possible exceptions for pregnancy, military service and religious missions.
A timeline for full approval remains unclear — likely weeks or months away — though the legislation is considered urgent with potential for implementation as soon as the fall 2026 academic year. Any rollout is expected to be phased in, with steps taken to avoid adversely impacting current athletes’ long-term eligibility under existing rules.
“Division I is currently undergoing an extensive review of all eligibility rules to determine what makes the most sense in the current era of college sports,” said Jon Steinbrecher, commissioner of the Mid-American Conference and vice chair of the Division I Cabinet. “These changes are the first phase of that process.”