Overview
- The Division I Board said on Thursday it will not change how the age-based eligibility rule is applied and will defend it in court.
- Under the rule athletes get five seasons of competition within five years starting at full-time enrollment or the academic year after their 19th birthday.
- Players whose collegiate eligibility ended by spring 2026 will not receive an extra season under the new model, a provision that triggered multiple lawsuits.
- An Ohio judge granted a preliminary injunction allowing some plaintiffs to enter the transfer portal, the NCAA sought a stay that was denied, and similar lawsuits are producing mixed preliminary relief nationwide.
- The rule sharply narrows waiver and redshirt exceptions to only official religious missions, pregnancy and active-duty military service and removes injury-based extensions, which could change scholarship allocation, transfer activity and NIL opportunities for affected athletes.