The NCAA and its Board of Directors has voted to delay the implementation of its new sports betting rules for student-athletes, while also circulating a memo that delays the implementation of a new 5th year of eligibility rule in two landmark postponements of major topics in the reinvention of collegiate sports.
Implementation of Gambling Rules Delayed
After earlier this month adopting new rules allowing student-athletes and athletic staff to bet on professional sports, the NCAA has decided to delay implementation of the new policy until November 22.
That date comes the day after the end of the membership recission period. NCAA Division I rules mandate 30 days for each members institution to vote to rescind a proposal if it is adopted by less than 75% of the council.
If two thirds of the NCAA Division I members submit an electronic objection to the measure, then it will be rescinded. Because Division II and Division III follow Division I’s lead on gambling rules, implementation will be delayed for those levels as well.
The move comes after SEC commissioner Greg Sankey, arguably the most powerful person in college sports right now, published an open letter calling on the NCAA to reverse the new policy. The letter highlighted the NBA gambling scandal that has shaken professional sports to their core in the United States.
NCAA Memo Says No 5th Year of Eligibility Anytime Soon
An internal memo circulated by the NCAA and obtained by The Athletic says that the NCAA will maintain the current four year eligibility scheme for the 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 school years.
The memo was sent by Illinois athletic director and NCAA Division I Cabinet Chair Josh Whitman.
“During its October meeting, the Division I Cabinet determined that, for the remainder of the current academic year and for the rosters competing during the 2026-27 academic year, it will maintain existing eligibility rules as they pertain to student-athletes competing in no more than four seasons of athletics competition in a particular sport over a consecutive five-year period,” Whitman said in the memo, a copy of which was obtained by The Athletic. “The Cabinet is studying these policies, along with several related eligibility rules, and will later consider what changes, if any, to implement for future academic years. When challenged, the current rules have been upheld by the overwhelming majority of courts.”
Like almost every part of the NCAA structure, eligibility rules have faced many legal challenges, like Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia filing a suit that his time playing at a junior college should not count against his NCAA eligibility clock.
While no suit has ruled against the NCAA’s current eligibility rules, the NCAA has been having internal discussions on the topic for at least a year.
A number of coaches, including Oklahoma head football coach Brent Venables on Tuesday, have said that they expect the new “five for five” rule to take effect, where athletes would have five years to use five seasons of eligibility. The uncertainty has made it hard for coaches and athletes to plan redshirts, not knowing if the new rules would take effect.
Coaches, especially football coaches, of talented athletes who might not play much in a given season often opt to redshirt them in order to preserve a season of eligibility for when they are older and more physically or mentally mature. More recently, athletes who do not expect to play much are making the choice themselves, which creates new headaches for coaches vis-a-vis roster management.
The Athletic surveyed college basketball coaches earlier this year. 15 said they were in favor of the new five-for-vie rule, 10 said they were against it, and four were unsure or didn’t answer. One coach cited the fact that most “normal college students” now take five years to graduate.
A 2021 report by the Digest of Education Statistics studying the period from 1996 through 2013 found that only 45% of degree-seeking undergraduates finished college within four years.
Agree with both motions. Also JuCo should totally count bro should have been better in high school