The NCAA has voted to adopt a sweeping change that will let college athletes claim up to five years of eligibility, provided they complete those five seasons within five years of high school graduation or before turning 19.
The move, championed by former President Donald Trump in an executive order issued on April 7, does away with the traditional redshirt year and is framed as a simplification of an eligibility system that has become tangled in numerous exceptions and legal challenges.
A new eligibility framework
While the rule applies across all sports, its most visible effects are expected in football and basketball, where teams may now field more seasoned players and where as many as 60 regular‑season games could be scheduled over the extended window.
The association has set a hard deadline of July 31 for athletes to submit waiver requests, and those who finished their fourth season of college play by spring 2026 will not be eligible for any additional year.
Prospects who are slated to graduate from high school in the spring of 2027 will be evaluated solely under the new age‑based model, closing a loophole that previously allowed some international professionals to retain college eligibility.