Overview
- The NCAA plan, which surfaced Wednesday in multiple reports, is set for Division I Cabinet discussion next week with no vote scheduled.
- Athletes would get five full years to compete starting at their 19th birthday or high school graduation, with only narrow exceptions for maternity leave, military service, or religious missions.
- Leaders describe the overhaul as urgent, and several outlets report a phased rollout could start as soon as fall 2026 if adopted.
- The shift targets costly, uneven eligibility fights as the NCAA processed about 1,450 waiver requests last year, spent roughly $16 million on cases, and saw judges reach opposite results in similar disputes.
- Key unknowns include whether current players regain time under the new clock, how courts will view any antitrust challenges, and how older international recruits or held-back prospects could arrive with fewer eligible years.