NCAA D1 Board of Directors has no plans to change age-based eligibility rule

The NCAA Division I Board of Governors doubled down on Thursday over the new age-based eligibility rule that has prompted some athletes to go to court in hopes of extending their college careers. The Division I Cabinet, which approved the new rule last month, issued a similar statement last month after a group of basketball players filed a lawsuit in Ohio state court, claiming the age-based model unfairly excluded them from further competition. Since then, other lawsuits have been filed across the country, some of them apparently with the encouragement of their coaches. The board’s statement says it will not budge from its position as it did when, in response to former Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia’s 2024 court victory, it granted an extra year to athletes who had competed at non-NCAA schools for at least one season and were ready to complete their eligibility. “We are encouraged by the broad support among Division I members for age-based eligibility rules,” the board said Thursday. “The design of the new rules, including its implementation strategy, was thoughtful and well-informed, and was unanimously supported by the Cabinet, including its student-athlete members. “The Council has no plans to change their application, despite a series of lawsuits recently filed on behalf of student-athletes who are no longer eligible. We look forward to ensuring that age-based eligibility rules are applied consistently so that all institutions play by the same rules, as do all participants in sports. Injured athletes whose eligibility expired in the spring of 2026 under the traditional model – four years of competition over five years – will not be allowed a fifth year of competition under the new rules that take effect this fall. That’s what prompted the first lawsuit, in Ohio a judge granted a preliminary injunction that allowed the players into the transfer portal and the case is now going to trial. Sankey said the conference ended up supporting the rule despite some leaders’ misgivings about its timing. Sankey said it’s believed the Protect College Sports Act currently circulating in the Senate could solve the problem. He also said the conference was not presented with data to justify the change. “We’ve moved quickly in this environment because … people are looking for solutions,” he said in an interview with The Associated Press. does not work. There are so many waivers, there is so much controversy over eligibility, it has to be better. But we’re not sure that’s the case.” Associated Press reporting.