The NCAA Division I Cabinet has unanimously voted to approve a new age-based eligibility model.
The new approach will grant most athletes five years of eligibility in five years on campus.
Here’s a quick overview of what will change and how it impacts IU football and basketball.
PREVIOUS RULES
Athletes were allowed four seasons of competition over five years with no age restrictions. There were various redshirt rules to obtain a fifth season. Athletes could also apply for unlimited medical hardship waivers.
NEW RULES
The age-based model calls for an athlete’s five-year eligibility clock to start upon initial full-time enrollment in college or at the beginning of the academic year following their 19th birthday, whichever occurs earlier. Limited exceptions are expected for factors like religious missions, maternity leave and military service. There will be no redshirt seasons or hardship waivers.
ATHLETES ENROLLED PRIOR TO RULE WITH REMAINING ELIGIBILITY
Currently enrolled athletes with eligibility remaining after the 2025-26 academic year will be allowed to apply the age-based model or continue with the previous eligibility rules, whichever is most beneficial to that individual.
ATHLETES WHOSE ELIGIBILITY EXPIRED DURING 2025-26 ACADEMIC YEAR
The new rules will not be extended to athletes who exhausted their eligibility at the end of the 2025-26 academic year. Many are forecasting a wave of lawsuits by some of these athletes.
HOW IT IMPACTS CURRENT IU FOOTBALL AND BASKETBALL PLAYERS
An assumption is being made all of these players were enrolled by the academic year that followed their 19th birthday:
IU Football:
RUNNING BACK
- Turbo Richard, Running back — Would go from two years left to three years.
WIDE RECEIVER
- Davion Chandler, Wide Receiver — Would go from three years left to four years.
- Lebron Bond, Wide Receiver — Would go from three years left to four years.
- Nick Marsh, Wide Receiver — Would go from two years left to three years.
- Charlie Becker, Wide Receiver — Would go from two years left to three years.
SAFETY
- Amare Ferrell, Safety — Would go from one year left to two years.
- Byron Baldwin, Safety — Would go from three years left to four years.
- Quan Sanks, Safety — Would go from two years left to three years.
- Garrett Reese, Safety — Would go from three years left to four years.
CORNERBACK
- Jaylen Bell, Cornerback — Would go from three years left to four years.
- AJ Harris, Cornerback — Would go from one year left to two years.
LINEBACKER
- Rolijah Hardy, Linebacker — Would go from two years left to three years (depending on how prep year after high school is handled).
DEFENSIVE LINE
- Daniel Ndukwe, Edge — Would go from two years left to three years.
- Mario Landino, Defensive Line — Would go from two years left to three years.
IU Basketball:
- Markus Burton* – Would have two years left.
- Bryce Lindsay* – Would have two years left.
- Justin Monden – Would have two years left.
- Samet Yigitoglu – Two years left. Could obtain a third remaining year but may not qualify under age limits. Yigitoglu was born March 10, 2004.
- Aiden Sherrell – Would have three years left.
- Jaeden Mustaf – Would have three years left.
- Darren Harris – Would have three years left.
- Trent Sisley – Would have four years left.
- Prince-Alexander Moody – Would have five years left
- Vaughn Karvala – Would have five years left.
- Trevor Manhertz – Would have five years left.
- Clemens Sokolov – Would have five years left.
*Burton and Lindsey have played three seasons and are expected to obtain a medical hardship waiver to obtain a fifth year of eligibility. But the new rule would ostensibly eliminate the need for that waiver. Because they can choose to operate under the old model, it’s possible a waiver could end up being more favorable if a medical hardship situation arises that affords the possibility of six or more years in college.
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