NCAA D-II panel pushes for age-based eligibility starting in 2026-27
The NCAA Division II Management Council is moving to align its standards with Division I by proposing a new age-based eligibility model. If approved by the executive board, this change would take effect for the 2026-27 academic year.
The proposed structure grants student-athletes a five-year window of eligibility. This period begins either upon the student's first full-time enrollment or the start of the regular academic year following their 19th birthday, whichever comes first. This shift replaces the current system, which restricts athletes to four seasons of competition within a 10-semester or 15-quarter timeframe.
Management council chair Ben Cherry, who serves as a faculty athletics representative at Cal State San Marcos, stated that the goal is to create rules that are consistent and easy for all participants to understand. The move aims to simplify the current framework while prioritizing the academic success and welfare of student-athletes.
This decision follows similar updates made at the Division I level last month. The legislative push arrives as the organization faces legal scrutiny regarding existing eligibility rules. Recent lawsuits, including action from athletes who graduated high school in 2022, have challenged how the NCAA manages eligibility requirements. An Ohio judge recently issued a preliminary injunction involving 24 basketball players, suggesting that past rule applications have lacked consistency. The NCAA maintains its stance that it will not offer exceptions to its current policies as it moves toward these new standards.