NCAA Approves New Five-Year Eligibility Rule Eliminating Redshirt Seasons

The New Five-Year Eligibility Standard

In a major shift for collegiate athletics, the NCAA voted on Tuesday to standardize eligibility timelines. Moving forward, student-athletes will be granted five years to complete their eligibility, a clock that begins ticking upon high school graduation or when an athlete turns 19, whichever occurs first. According to reporting by CBS Sports, the policy includes only limited exceptions for specific circumstances, such as military service, maternity leave, or religious missions. The change was one of many proposed by President Donald Trump in an executive order issued on April 7, though sources told CBS Sports’ John Talty that the eligibility proposal had been in the works since before the executive order.

The decision moves the organization away from the previous system, which allowed athletes five years to compete over a four-year period. By removing the ability to grant further waivers for injuries or other extenuating circumstances, the NCAA intends to close the “gray area” that has invited legal challenges. The organization maintains that its current governance and standards are designed to provide support and opportunities for student-athletes beyond their immediate academic and athletic environments, as noted on the official NCAA website. For schools with current student-athletes who may be eligible for hardship waivers or extensions of eligibility, the Cabinet indicated that the deadline to submit any waiver requests to NCAA staff is July 31.

Impact on Redshirting and Roster Development

The elimination of the traditional redshirt year carries significant implications for team development, particularly in football. Historically, football players were not allowed to play a single snap during a redshirt season. In 2018, the rules changed to allow football players to participate in four games and still retain eligibility. After the COVID-19 pandemic, the NCAA issued a blanket waiver across all sports, which was passed in good faith at a time when many athletes were losing key years of eligibility. However, combined with the rise of name, image and likeness compensation and later school revenue-sharing, it created a mess for the NCAA.

Under the new rules, players who sit out for development will effectively burn one of their five years of eligibility, making the cost of such an off-field season much higher. While the change could lead to more experienced rosters on average—as athletes now have up to 60 regular-season games available to them—it also complicates the practice of “redshirting” kids as they grow up. Parents who have historically held their kids back a year in school so they are physically better developed for sports by the time colleges recruit them may now find that such decisions cost the athlete a year of eligibility.

Closing International and Legal Loopholes

The “five-for-five” rule is also a strategic move to address recent trends in recruiting and litigation. Rather than players attempting to reach the professional ranks, college athletes are suing to remain in college longer for financial reasons. The CBS Sports analysis highlights the case of Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, who this offseason won an additional year of eligibility by suing the NCAA over a medical waiver. With rising exceptions and lawsuits, players have been regularly pushing their eligibility to six or seven years, even after the pandemic waiver expired.

Furthermore, the rule aims to address the recruitment of international professional players who have never entered the U.S. college system. In May, it was reported that LSU men’s basketball was set to offer 25-year-old guard Yam Madar several million dollars to join their roster. Madar was drafted by the Boston Celtics in 2020 and has built a strong European career, including a Turkish League championship with Fenerbahce in 2024. The five-for-five rule aims to cut off these kinds of loopholes at the knees. While international professional players would still be able to enroll, they could face shorter eligibility periods. In the case of Madar, his two-year commitment to the Israeli military could provide an exception to the five-year clock, but it would leave him with—at most—one season of eligibility.

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