The NCAA Division I board of directors said Thursday that it has no plans to change the new age based eligibility rule. The board repeated its support for the rule as athletes continue filing lawsuits seeking to extend their college careers.

The Division I Cabinet approved the new rule last month. It also issued a similar statement last month after a group of basketball players filed a lawsuit in an Ohio state court arguing that the age based model unfairly prevents them from continuing to compete.

The article states that more lawsuits have since been filed across the country. Some of those lawsuits were reportedly filed with encouragement from the athletes' coaches.

The board's statement said it would not change its position as it did following former Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia's 2024 court win. In response to that case, the NCAA granted an additional year to athletes who had competed at non NCAA schools for at least one season and were set to complete their eligibility.

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The board said, "We are encouraged by the Division I membership's broad support of the age-based eligibility rules." The statement also said, "The design of the new rules, including its implementation strategy, was thoughtful and well-informed, and was unanimously supported by the Cabinet, including its student-athlete members."

The board also said, "The board has no plans to modify their application, notwithstanding a series of lawsuits recently filed on behalf of student-athletes with no remaining eligibility." The statement continued, "We look forward to ensuring that the age-based eligibility rules are enforced consistently so that all institutions play by the same rules, like all participants in sports."

Under the age based eligibility rule, athletes are allowed five seasons of competition over a five year period. That period begins with their full time enrollment or the academic year following their 19th birthday, whichever occurs first.

The new rule all but eliminates waivers or redshirt years for extended eligibility except for religious missions, pregnancy or active duty military service. The article also states that extensions will no longer be considered for athletes who are injured.

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Athletes whose eligibility expired by spring 2026 under the traditional model of four years of competition over five years will not receive a fifth year of competition under the new rules. Those rules go into effect this fall.

The article says that this change led to the first lawsuit in Ohio. A judge granted a preliminary injunction that allowed the players to enter the transfer portal, and the case is now headed to trial.

According to the article, athletes involved in other cases across the country have also received preliminary injunctions. Those cases followed the Ohio lawsuit challenging the age based eligibility model.

Earlier this week, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said the conference supported the rule despite some leaders' misgivings about its timing. He also said there had been a thought that the Protect College Sports Act currently circulating in the Senate could solve the problem.

Sankey also said the conference was not presented with data to justify the change. He said, "We got on a fast track in this environment because ... people are looking for solutions. That doesn't mean there are solutions, but it's just 'Oh, what we're doing isn't working. There's so many waivers; there's so much controversy about eligibility, this must be better.' But we're not sure if it is."

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