NCAA leaders have been mulling whether or not to enact a big rule change that may grant faculty athletes a fifth yr of eligibility, however Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports activities reported on Thursday that the proposed “five-for-five” plan would possibly get tabled in the meanwhile.
That begs the query: Will such a rule change happen sooner or later, and is that the fitting transfer? Would the NCAA and its stakeholders be higher off conserving issues as they’re, with athletes in a position to play 4 seasons in 5 years, with the redshirt obtainable?
It is a sophisticated challenge with no clear-cut answer that may possible invite authorized battles a technique or one other.
Professionals of the “five-for-five” proposed rule change
If this proposed rule is enacted, all faculty athletes can have 5 years to play 5 seasons. Consultants say that redshirts could be eradicated, and waivers would possible be, too.
The attractiveness of that is that every little thing could be uniform for each program throughout each sport. No extra inconsistent waiver exceptions that appear to be granted or denied by the NCAA with out rhyme or cause.
A fifth season to play may lead to extra veteran athletes competing, and that would make the product higher, whether or not in soccer, basketball, lacrosse or different sports activities.
A transparent-cut five-for-five rule may additionally get rid of situations of athletes making an attempt to recreation the present system. Earlier this week, two Texas Longhorns gamers left this system as a result of they’d already performed in 4 video games in the course of the 2025 marketing campaign and needed to protect their eligibility for subsequent season.
“I have been an advocate for five-for-five,” Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian stated, by way of Wescott Eberts of SBNation. I’ve stated all of it alongside – I believe it is a horrible place to place these gamers in to make these choices proper now. There’s cash concerned, there’s income sharing, there’s NIL, there’s various factors, and I believe it is placing brokers and members of the family and scholar athletes in a troublesome place to make enterprise choices in the midst of the season, however that is the place we’re at.”
Cons of the “five-for-five”
This proposed rule change appeared to have momentum after a Tennessee court docket late final yr granted a preliminary injunction introduced by Vanderbilt Commodores quarterback Diego Pavia, with the court docket agreeing that his seasons taking part in on the junior faculty stage should not rely towards his 4 years of NCAA-permitted eligibility.
Whereas the hope is that the “five-for-five” would scale back lawsuits as a result of the brand new rule would get rid of redshirts and in addition possible further waivers, as Dellenger famous, the change may do the alternative.
Plus, what’s to cease “five-for-five” from extending even additional out, to 6 years or 9 years or past that? Moreover, even when this rule is applied, colleges may nonetheless search waivers from the NCAA.
There are additionally downstream results. If there are extra 22-year-olds and 23-year-olds competing on the collegiate stage, that may possible put the squeeze on highschool prospects, who’re already feeling stress as coaches focus extra on switch portal recruiting today than recruiting on the prep stage.
Which path is the higher one is up for debate, however on the very least some readability on the scenario could be welcomed.
