The NCAA Division II Management Council has proposed a shift to an age-based eligibility model, effective for the 2026-27 academic year. This model would create a five-year period of eligibility, beginning when an athlete first enrolls full-time or turns 19, whichever comes first.
Background
The Division I Council approved a similar age-based model last month, replacing the current four-season competition model. However, a series of lawsuits have been filed, arguing that athletes who graduated from high school in 2022 and exhausted their four-year eligibility should be allowed a fifth year in 2026-27.
An Ohio judge recently granted a preliminary injunction for 24 Division I men’s and women’s college basketball players who sued the NCAA, stating that the eligibility rules have been applied in an arbitrary and capricious manner.
Original reporting: Texarkana Gazette — read the source article.
