NCAA adopts 5-in-5

Daniel Susann, Editor

As of June 23, the NCAA Division I cabinet adopted a revolutionary framework for collegiate athletics eligibility.

The new set of rules, "Five-in-five," will streamline NCAA eligibility, applying a blanket system and repealing the outdated redshirt waiver which made special exceptions the norm and confused the heck out of everybody.

Here are the key components:

-5 years of eligibility for athletes from the time they graduate high school or turn 19, whichever comes first

-23-year-old age limit

-Non-retroactive (current seniors are not grandfathered in), but expect a litany of lawsuits

-Players who just finished their junior season have two years remaining, sophomores have three, and so on.

-For current athletes who have already played a season but do not meet the new age requirement, they can use whichever framework, new or old, is more favorable for them.

-All future recruits starting from high school class of 2026 will use the new age-based system.

-No medial redshirts

-Exceptions available for religious reasons, maternity or military service.

Takeaways

In the past half-decade, most athletes have gained an extra year or two of eligibility, often due to legal challenge. It started with the blanket waiver given to every athlete during the pandemic whether they opted to play or sit out. In 2025, the NCAA granted an additional year for players who had spent a season in JUCO. In 2026, various injunctions were made to allow athletes to play despite the NCAA ruling them ineligible.

The five-in-five rule is already set to be challenged by a number of college basketball's class of 2026 seniors who will not be grandfathered in, including former Purdue guard Braden Smith.

The impact on college tennis? Expect the international pipeline into college tennis to remain strong as aspiring professionals will reliably have a few years to try their hand in challengers events before making a pivot to college prior to their 24th birthday. Expect new high school recruits to pursue opportunities at the mid-major level before transferring into a bigger program. Outside of the cream of the crop, incoming freshmen will have to compete with way more players to earn a roster spot.

Despite the drawbacks for new recruits entering the college ranks, the new framework will add some structure to a landscape which has felt like the wild west.