Keirsten Briggs
Contributing Writer
A new NCAA eligibility rule is affecting college athletes across the country and changing more than how long some athletes can play. It could also reshape how coaches build their rosters and which recruits receive opportunities to join their teams.
The new age-based eligibility rule, sometimes called the “five-for-five” rule, gives qualifying Division I and Division II athletes a continuous five-year eligibility period. The period generally begins when an athlete first enrolls full time in college or at the beginning of the academic year following the athlete’s 19th birthday, whichever comes first.
The NCAA cautions that the rule does not guarantee five years of eligibility for every athlete, particularly those who delay enrolling in college. Once the five-year period begins, it does not pause if an athlete transfers, sits out or takes time away from competition.
Current athletes who have eligibility remaining after the 2025-26 academic year will be evaluated under either the previous rules or the new age-based system, whichever is more beneficial.
Although the change is intended to simplify eligibility requirements, it presents a new challenge: Coaches must balance experienced players who may remain in their programs longer with younger athletes hoping to earn roster spots.
OBU senior Lindsey Oliver said the possibility of additional eligibility could be important to college athletes.
“I think the new eligibility rule is important for college athletes because oftentimes players are either robbed of a redshirt year or are kind of forced into it to develop from their coaches, and it can get really messy,” Oliver said. “I think the new rule brings a lot of consistency into college sports.”
Oliver said additional time could allow her to continue both her education and softball career.
“For sure,” Oliver said. “Playing on a college team, stuff doesn’t always work out the way you want it to when you commit. Being such an old transfer can be kind of scary, and I think that the five-year eligibility rule will really help me get as much school done as I can while also doing what I love.”
For coaches, the new system requires looking further into the future when building a roster. They must consider the experience of their current athletes, which players may return and where new recruits could fit.
OBU head softball coach Jace Brewer said coaches must evaluate both their existing rosters and their ability to retain players.
“I think you have to look at two things: One, your own roster and what experience you have, and two, what to do to keep the kids we have right now,” Brewer said.
Brewer said the rule could also make long-term planning easier.
“If I can plan ahead and know who we are getting back for a third or a fourth year, then that helps me plan for the future,” he said.
Experience is also becoming increasingly valuable in recruiting.
“Anybody with more experience at the level you are playing at is valuable, so everybody is looking for experience to create value,” Brewer said. “COVID made things go a fifth year already, so we are used to it. Older and experienced creates the value in the recruiting aspect.”
As experienced players remain on college rosters longer, high school recruits could face more competition for available positions. Coaches may also look more closely at junior college, transfer and NAIA athletes who already have experience playing at the college level.
For Presley Walker, a 2028 high school recruit, the rule raises questions as she begins searching for her future college.
“I think that this rule could affect how kids get recruited because coaches want the choice of experienced players and do not want to work someone up from a high school player,” Walker said.
The NCAA’s new eligibility system may make roster planning more predictable, but it also creates uncertainty for the next generation of athletes. As experienced players stay longer, coaches and recruits must answer a new question: Where will the next players fit?
