The NCAA’s new Division I framework replaces sport-specific seasons-of-competition rules with an age-based model that allows up to five years of eligibility for certain incoming athletes.
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 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.
A new NCAA rule puts Division I schools and coaches at risk of automatic penalties when they add or use four-year transfers outside the portal process.
