The NCAA is about to slam the door on the era of the 25-year-old college senior. According to NCAA President Charlie Baker, an age-based eligibility overhaul is on the horizon, and it could be official sooner than you think.
For years, fans have watched 24- and 25-year-old athletes—some in their seventh year of eligibility—dominate college fields, thanks to pandemic waivers and the transfer portal. That bizarre chapter is coming to an end. The proposed rule would give Division I athletes five years to compete, starting immediately after high school graduation or their 19th birthday, whichever comes first.
“This makes a world of sense in football for coaches and players alike,” said Sam Edwards, a Michigan State football player and member of the NCAA’s Division I Board. “In the context of roster limits, coaches can now use their entire roster without worrying about ‘saving’ a subset of players for redshirts.”
The NCAA’s Division I Board of Directors has already directed the Division I Cabinet to advance the concept. If adopted, the model would eliminate the need for redshirt years entirely—players would simply have five years to play, not four seasons within a five-year window. That means more action, less waiting.
“The new age-based model is a great step forward in simplifying and stabilizing college sports, especially football,” Edwards added. “It allows student-athletes to compete over the entirety of their eligibility period.”
The change would also bring clarity to recruiting and roster management. Coaches won’t have to stash players on the bench for a year just to preserve eligibility. Instead, freshmen can jump right in, and everyone gets a full five-year runway.
For context, college sports have seen a surge of older players in recent years—some even in their mid-20s—thanks to COVID-19 exceptions that granted extra seasons. The new rule would cap eligibility at age 24, effectively barring anyone 25 or older from suiting up. That’s a win for competitive balance and a clear message: college sports are for college-aged athletes.
The NCAA is expected to finalize the rule soon, and Baker is “pretty optimistic” it will pass. If it does, it will mark one of the most significant eligibility changes in decades.
In other sports news, the NFL is also shaking things up with four major rule changes coming in 2026, while fans are already debating the proposed NFL rule changes. Meanwhile, the NCAA’s own age-based eligibility overhaul could spell the end of redshirts as we know them.
Stay tuned—college sports are about to get younger, faster, and a whole lot more exciting.
