NCAA President Charlie Baker is “now firmly advocating” a move to the “five-in-five” standard for student-athlete eligibility to “eliminate the current restriction in Division I of playing four seasons within a five-year span that features numerous waivers and redshirts,” according to Bryan Fischer of SI. Under the concept, athletes both domestically and internationally would “fall under an age-based window of five years to compete beginning upon high-school graduation or when they turn 19 years old.” Baker said, “The goal here was to come up with something that was a lot simpler and sort of familiar.” He acknowledges that the topic of implementing such a policy shift and grandfathering in current athletes “remains a topic to sort through before getting this over the line in short order, even if it leads to more legal challenges.” The Division I Cabinet discussed the idea last week and “could vote on emergency legislation as soon as mid-May (it would go into effect the following month).” Baker said, “Almost everybody I’ve talked to has said it’s simpler and it’s easier to understand if it returns college athletics to the same window that college is supposed to be attached to.” Fischer wrote another “positive” would be to “eliminate the rash of eligibility lawsuits against the NCAA” (SI, 4/22).
GAINING SUPPORT: CBSSPORTS.com’s Shehan Jeyarajah noted SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey “expressed openness” to the five-year eligibility window. Sankey said, “We need to have a defined period of eligibility. This six, seven, eight, nine-year stuff shouldn’t be happening, whether it’s waiver-driven by the NCAA, which I think started it, or not, people running to the courts.” Jeyarajah noted one proposal would have the clock “automatically start” upon high-school graduation or an athlete’s 19th birthday, “whichever comes first.” Capping an athlete’s window on their 24th birthday would also “limit international athletes’ ability to come over at later dates with full eligibility” (CBSSPORTS.com, 4/22).
