As the NCAA appears destined to adopt the proposed age-based, five-year eligibility model as soon as later this month, several questions have been raised about the status of student-athletes currently in the midst of their eligibility.
As reported by Yahoo Sports‘ Ross Dellenger on Thursday, the NCAA distributed a chart to member schools detailing where each student-athlete will stand if the model is implemented.
The biggest key is that for current student-athletes, they won’t have seasons of eligibility taken away from them. If they have eligibility remaining, they’ll fall under whichever eligibility policy is “most beneficial,” either the current rules or the five-year model.
For example, a student-athlete entering their junior year in 2026-27 will have three more seasons of eligibility, assuming they started their collegiate career directly after graduating high school (starting in the fall of 2024) and haven’t taken a redshirt year.
For student-athletes who exhausted their eligibility in the 2025-26 season, they won’t be granted another year of eligibility.
ELIGIBILITY CHART
Courtesy of Ross Dellenger
Also: Athletes with eligibility remaining will fall under whichever eligibility policy – current rules or the new 5-year rule – that is “most beneficial.”
As written in our original story on the 5-year concept, athletes won’t have seasons taken from them https://t.co/8QEC4GO3OM https://t.co/tlEbq8bE5y
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) April 30, 2026
The five-year, age-based eligibility model gives student-athletes five full years of eligibility, with their clock beginning at the time of their 19th birthday or high school graduation, whichever is earlier.
The new model also clamps down on the restrictions surrounding waiver exemptions and redshirt requests. Redshirt seasons would no longer exist, and waivers to miss a season without having it count against their eligibility would only apply to a select group, such as those on maternity leave, military service or religious missions.
Currently, student-athletes have a five-year eligibility clock to complete four seasons of competition, with the option to regain a season of eligibility through a redshirt or waiver request.
Earlier this week, the Division I Board of Directors directed the Division I Cabinet to move forward with the new eligibility model.
The Cabinet will have a meeting to discuss the changes on May 22, which could include a vote. NCAA President Charlie Baker has said he’s “pretty optimistic” it’s going to pass.
Any swimmers potentially impacted by this? Luca Orlando I imagine
Do you think this will just be for D1? Or will it trickle down to D2 or D3?
What happens under this system to someone who graduates after the fall semester. Does their clock start at spring semester even if they don’t enroll in college until the fall? Or does it start the following fall?
So what if you took a gap year after high school but are still under 19 before starting college?
As a current athlete or a future one?
current athlete
I believe you’d fall under “whichever is more beneficial,” which would mean you’d get the 5th year of eligibility in 5 seasons.
Someone who took a gap year and maybe started college at 20 would have “more beneficial” outcome from the old plan, so that’s what would apply.
so if I’m reading this right all swimmers entering the 26-27 season, whether seniors or freshman,
will get a 5th year unless they have taken a red shirt year or above the age limit?
That’s what it looks like…
But someone like Luka Mladenovic (age 21 when starting college) will fall under current rules and only have 3 seasons left?
Does that mean that swimmers such as Luca Urlando or David Johnston and other swimmers who might apply for medical redshirt might not receive them?
Yes. I think eliminating medical redshirts was one of the goals of the program. Not because people don’t have sympathy, because it’s too complicated and confusing and inconsistent and abused and etc.
In football, everyone is basically injured all the time, so allowing medical redshirts is effectively the same as just allowing all redshirts.
As I understand, the likely only exceptions will be for religious missions or military service. Not sure if that’s changed or if anything official has been released on that in the last few days.
if rising seniors are getting a 5th year isn’t this going to result in problems with roster limits
for example if a program has seven rising seniors they expected to graduate, and seven 2027 recruits
replacing them on their 30 swimmer roster, they are now going to be way over??
DSA from the house settlement, so doing this now might be a good time to make the change.
Luca Urlando (and ASU) are FUMING right now
🙄 lol
Welcome back 8th year seniors lol
Not really. This essentially eliminates any possibility of that (or anything close to it).