NCAA Division I Cabinet Unanimously Approves Age-Based Eligibility Model

On Tuesday, the NCAA Division I cabinet unanimously approved the age-based eligibility model. The proposal will be become official upon the conclusion of the meeting on Wednesday.

• See Also: NCAA Division I Board of Directors Directs Cabinet to Adopt Five-Year, Age-Based Eligibility
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• NCAA Makes Adjustments to Age-Based Eligibility Model; Could Vote at the End of June

The new model, which will take effect at the start of the 2026-2027 school year, gives athletes five years of eligibility starting from their 19th birthday or their full-time college enrollment, whichever comes first.

There will be no more injury redshirt seasons with exemptions only remaining for pregnancy, religious missions, and military service.

Waivers for athletes who are hoping to remain eligible under the current eligibility rules (i.e. redshirt seasons and COVID years) must be submitted by July 31st. On the swimming side, this impacts athletes like Luca Urlando and David Johnston, who have both been enrolled for more than five years.

The NCAA has stated that athletes with eligibility remaining after the 2025-2026 school year will remain eligible under “whichever policy is most beneficial.”

The NCAA released the following explanation for implementation process:

• 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.