While the NCAA Division I Cabinet did not take any action earlier this month, it discussed a concept regarding age-based eligibility. It would give athletes a five-year window of eligibility following their high school graduation or their 19th birthday, whichever comes first.
The Cabinet didn’t formally take a position on the eligibility concept, though the NCAA confirmed the discussion took place. Speaking with reporters Wednesday, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey reiterated his stance on the need for more “defined” eligibility rules.
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Sankey specifically pointed to the NCAA’s waiver process and court rulings for how they factor into the eligibility discussion. He said athletes should not be in school for at least six or seven years as he made the case for stronger rules.
“We need to have a defined period of eligibility,” Sankey said, via Yahoo! Sports’ Ross Dellenger. “This six, seven, eight and nine-year stuff shouldn’t be happening, whether it’s waiver-driven by the NCAA – which I think started this – or people running to courts.”
The age-based, five-year eligibility concept comes on the heels of an executive order signed by President Donald Trump last month. He called on the NCAA to clarify its rules by Aug. 1 and include “age-based eligibility limits to promote fairness, consistency, safety, and opportunities for student-athletes.” When he first mentioned the possibility of an executive order, Trump said he expected to go to court.
However, as Dellenger previously noted for On3, there are questions about the pending proposal. Specifically, if the NCAA was to adopt it, would seniors get a fifth year? It’s a question Jacksonville State men’s basketball coach Ray Harper asked. The Gamecocks are preparing to lose seven players to graduation from this past year’s team.
“Will they be grandfathered in?” Harper asked Dellenger. “That’s the hard part for everybody – the unknown.”
In an email sent to member schools last week, NCAA president Charlie Baker outlined the concept and included a Q&A. While it did not address the idea of grandfathering, Baker said the NCAA is being proactive as the landscape continues to evolve.
“The rapid evolution of the college sports landscape has created significant new pressures that require immediate, decisive solutions,” Baker wrote. “NCAA membership is not waiting for others to act.”