NCAA Mulls Over Giving All Athletes Five Years of Eligibility: Game Changer or Chaos?

The NCAA might be cooking up another shake-up in the wild world of college sports, and this one has student-athletes everywhere buzzing. Imagine this: five years of eligibility across all sports. Yep, you heard that right. It’s like being told you get an extra slice of cake at the party. Delicious, but also… unexpected.

This potential policy shift would extend the eligibility clock from the current “four seasons in five years” rule to a flat-out five years of eligibility for everyone. CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein broke the news, reporting that the NCAA is actively discussing the possibility, with talks set to continue into early 2025. If this happens, it could revolutionize the way student-athletes navigate their college careers.

Why Now? Blame COVID (and a Little Bit of Everything Else)

Let’s rewind for a second. Back in the chaos of the 2020-21 COVID season, athletes were granted an extra year of eligibility to make up for the disruptions. It was a lifesaver for many, but it also created a weird eligibility limbo. Fast forward to today, and that extra COVID year is running out—2024-25 will be the last season it’s available unless you’ve managed to squeeze in a redshirt year somewhere.

But COVID isn’t the only thing shaking up the status quo. The NCAA is also juggling legal battles, like the pending House case settlement and ongoing pushes to unionize college teams. Throw in a recent court ruling in Tennessee—where college QB Diego Pavia won a temporary injunction to play an extra season despite already using up his eligibility—and the NCAA’s current system is looking a bit like a house of cards on a windy day.

A Free Year for All? The Pros and the Plot Twists

If the NCAA greenlights this new rule, it won’t just be a win for athletes who’ve been caught in the eligibility gray zone. It could also be a massive game-changer for college sports programs. Coaches could build deeper rosters, student-athletes could take more time to develop their skills, and schools might see a boost in graduation rates.

On the flip side, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. Extending eligibility means more players sticking around longer, which could clog up recruiting pipelines. Imagine being a high school senior, ready to go pro in collegiate water polo, only to find out the upperclassmen are sticking around like uninvited guests at your graduation party. Awkward.

Plus, what happens to scholarships? Would schools need to up their budgets to accommodate larger rosters, or will someone end up sitting on the bench—a lot?

Redshirts and the Rulebook Shuffle

This isn’t the first time the NCAA has played with eligibility rules. Earlier this year, Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger reported that the organization was considering expanding the football redshirt rule—which lets players participate in a limited number of games without burning their redshirt year—to all sports. Wrestling already has a similar rule, but most other sports are stuck in the old-school “you play, you pay” eligibility model.

However, the five-year eligibility idea seems to go beyond just tweaking redshirt rules. Instead, it’s a blanket policy that’d apply across the board. No more math, no more debates, just five years of eligibility for every student-athlete, period.

What’s Next?

Right now, it’s all still up in the air. NCAA officials haven’t finalized anything, but the discussions are picking up steam. Whether this is a response to legal pressure, player advocacy, or just the NCAA trying to keep pace with a rapidly changing sports world, one thing’s clear: college athletics are on the brink of yet another big evolution.

For now, student-athletes, coaches, and fans will have to sit tight and see how this all plays out. But if this rule gets the green light, it’ll be a whole new ball game. Five years to compete? Sounds like overtime, but this time, everyone gets to play.