The NCAA’s age-based eligibility model took effect Aug. 1, 2026, replacing sport-specific seasons-of-competition limits with a framework that can provide qualifying Division I athletes up to five years of eligibility.
A federal judge clarified an NCAA eligibility order that could allow some athletes who exhausted four seasons in spring 2026 to compete again in 2026-27.
A federal judge clarified her NCAA eligibility ruling after the association sought guidance, preserving a fifth season for Division I athletes who graduated from high school in 2022 and were excluded from the NCAA’s new five-for-five framework.
The NCAA says Division I schools will use an age-based eligibility model beginning with fall 2026 entrants, while current athletes with eligibility remaining after 2025-26 may also qualify.
