The NCAA voted one of its most significant eligibility changes ever on Tuesday.
Under the new rules, players will be granted five years of eligibility to be completed within five years of high school graduation or an athlete's 19th birthday, whichever comes first. There would be limited exceptions for factors like religious missions, maternity leave and military service.
In effect, the new rule eliminates redshirts across college sports. Under the previous system, athletes had five years to compete over four years. There would not be further waivers for injury or other extenuating circumstances.
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The change was one of many proposed by President Donald Trump in an executive order issued on April 7. However, sources told CBS Sports' John Talty that the eligibility proposal had been in the works since before the executive order.
How we got here
The five-year eligibility clock marks the final iteration of a long-term shift in college football. Historically, football players were not allowed to play a single snap during a redshirt season. In 2018, the rules changed to allow football players to participate in four games and still retain eligibility. After the COVID-19 pandemic, the NCAA issued a blanket waiver across all sports.
The blanket waiver was passed in good faith at a time when many athletes were losing key years of eligibility. However, combined with the rise of name, image and likeness compensation -- and later school revenue-sharing -- it created a mess for the NCAA.
Rather than players attempting to reach the professional ranks, college athletes are suing to remain in college longer for financial reasons. Just this offseason, Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss won an additional year of eligibility by suing the NCAA over a medical waiver.
With all the rising exceptions and lawsuits, players are regularly pushing their eligibility to six or seven years, even after the pandemic waiver expired. Rather than continuing to make case-by-case judgment calls, the NCAA is making a blanket change to simplify its process. Any gray area provides legal liability.
The change does come with complications. Many college athletes redshirt right now to retain eligibility. Additionally, fourth-year seniors and recent college graduates could suddenly petition the NCAA for their final year of eligibility, or even go to court.
How it impacts football
Redshirting has long been part of the game, especially for linemen. It's rare for players to be physically ready right when they get on campus, and formally keeping them out for a full year was a major developmental goal. This is also true for underclassman quarterbacks, who typically have to wait their turn behind incumbents.
On the positive side, if a player proves they're ready to play soon after getting on campus, they can quickly adjust. However, the cost of an off-field developmental season could be seen as higher since it will cost them real on-field reps. Could this prove a complication for offensive line play?
At the extremes, the five-year rule is likely to eliminate cases in which players have more than six years of eligibility. However, it will also likely lead to more experienced players on average, since players would now have up to 60 regular-season games available to them.
One overlooked aspect of the change could involve the practice of "redshirting" kids as they grow up. Many parents hold their kids back a year in school so they are physically better developed for sports by the time colleges recruit them. Under these new rules, getting held back could cost an athlete a year of eligibility.
Basketball's international loophole could close
In May, it was reported that LSU men's basketball was set to offer 25-year-old guard Yam Madar several million dollars to join their roster. Madar was drafted by the Boston Celtics in 2020 and has built a strong European career, including a Turkish League championship with Fenerbahce in 2024.
Since Madar never attempted to enter the college basketball system, he could have had multiple years of eligibility. And really, this kind of thinking could lead any European player to come to college basketball, where top players are paid more than most European clubs pay rotation players.
The five-for-five rule aims to cut off these kinds of loopholes at the knees. International professional players would still be able to enroll in college basketball, but could face shorter eligibility periods.
In the case of Madar, he served a two-year commitment to the Israeli military, which could provide an exception to the five-year clock. Even so, it would leave him with -- at most -- one season of eligibility.
Details from the NCAA
For schools with current student-athletes who may be eligible for hardship waivers or extensions of eligibility, the Cabinet indicated that the deadline to submit any waiver requests to NCAA staff is July 31. After that date, waivers would no longer be available for current student-athletes or prospects.
- Student-athletes whose fourth season of collegiate eligibility was completed by spring 2026: No additional eligibility.
- Currently enrolled student-athletes with eligibility remaining after the 2025-26 academic year: Flexibility for schools to apply the age-based model or continue with the previous eligibility rules (four seasons to compete with five total years of eligibility), whichever is most beneficial to that individual.
- Prospects expected to graduate from high school in spring 2027: Age-based model only.
- Prospects expected to graduate from high school in spring 2026, regardless of planned enrollment date: Age-based model only.
- Prospects who graduated prior to spring 2026 and have not enrolled: The NCAA Eligibility Center will review the prospect's individual circumstances and apply the age-based model or existing delayed enrollment eligibility rules, whichever is most beneficial to that individual.
