Not to bury the lede – which is the NCAA approving a five-for-five eligibility model for student-athletes – but you'll probably enjoy this more. It's a highlight video of incoming Dartmouth quarterback Jack Cannon, who won 2025 Jersey Sports Zoneman Trophy for leading Holmdel to its first section football title in New Jersey.
- Five years of eligibility, no redshirts or extensions- Clock starts at 19 yrs old or college enrollment (whichever is earlier)- Exemptions for pregnancy/military/mission
Direct from the NCAA under the headline Division I adopts age-based eligibility model (LINK):
The Division I Cabinet on Tuesday unanimously approved a sweeping overhaul of eligibility rules for student-athletes, permitting Division I student-athletes up to five years of eligibility if they enroll in college no later than the academic year after their 19th birthday. The new rule streamlines a significant portion of the Division I rule book by eliminating season-of-competition limits, sport-specific eligibility and redshirt rules, and eligibility extension waivers."
And . . .
The rule change will be effective for all prospects initially enrolling full time in college in fall 2027 or later.
For students enrolling full time in college for the first time in fall 2026 and current student-athletes with eligibility remaining after the 2025-26 academic year, Division I schools will apply the previous rules (allowing four seasons of competition within five years) or the age-based model, whichever results in the most favorable outcome for each individual.
From an AP overview story (LINK):
Eager to lessen the chaos of the transfer portal era and court fights with players trying to extend their careers, the NCAA approved a new eligibility model for Division I athletes on Tuesday that will allow five seasons of competition over a five-year period that begins with their full-time enrollment or the academic year following their 19th birthday, whichever occurs first.
And . . .
The five-in-five language also is included in Senate legislation intended to address numerous concerns across college sports and comes after a wave of lawsuits from athletes seeking to extend their college careers and ability to earn money through revenue sharing and name, image and likeness deals. Still to be seen is whether the new rules will withstand legal scrutiny alongside the existing challenges.
Another Associated Press story under the headline The NCAA changed its eligibility rules. What does that mean for transfers, rosters and playing time? actually includes a quote from an assistant lacrosse coach at Dartmouth. From the story (LINK):
“I think it’s the NCAA’s way of keeping college sports as amateur as possible with the chaos that is the NIL era. It will be good for sports like lacrosse where post-grad and redshirt years are less common than in football,” said Kelsey Fee, an assistant women’s lacrosse coach at Dartmouth. “It will open up the portal to a new slew of craziness with kids looking to use their fifth year.”
Fee said she also thinks the shift will bring an excitement to recruiting that hasn’t been felt in recent years.
Green Alert Take: It's curious that an AP writer would chase down a quote from a random assistant coach in the Ivy League, which likely won't adopt the five-year eligibility rule unless the courts somehow get involved.
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During the spring I asked Dartmouth coach Sammy McCorkle for his thoughts on the five-for-five initiative. The Big Green has had one football player who I was told sat out the rest of one season specifically to maintain a potential redshirt, and both McCorkle and Buddy Teevens before him have said they promised to work with players under the old rule to enable them to have a final year as a grad transfer.
Here's what appeared on BGA Overtime during the spring when the five-for-five discussion was heating up:
The NCAA has been looking at – and may soon pass – an eligibility rules change that would allow players five years to play five seasons. The expectation is that would put an end to players petitioning and getting the OK to play after spending six or seven years in college.
If passed, the rule would allow Ivy Leaguers to play four full years, get their degree, and then play a final season at the FBS level should that possibility be offered. Currently, Ivy players have to play no more than four games in one of their seasons to recover that year elsewhere. Increasingly, that has forced players and coaches around the Ivy League to have difficult discussions about limiting playing time for players hoping to eventually grad transfer.
McCorkle gives the potential rules change a solid thumbs up.
"It would help us because we couldn't have to make those tough decisions," he said. "We don't have to worry about messing the kid up by playing him more than four games and costing him that year.
"But the part you worry about is, OK, now you give them five years, is it going to be six next? It's like the playoffs. You start off letting 12 teams in, then it's 16 and what next? But hey, I think it would be great for us, for sure."
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On our recent road trip to the Outer Banks, Charleston and Savannah, Mrs. BGA and I played the license plate game. You know the one. How many different state plates can you find?
