NDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – NCAA Division II has adopted a new age-based eligibility model that will take effect beginning with the 2026-27 academic year, changing how student-athlete eligibility is determined.

Under the new model, student-athletes will have a five-year eligibility period, beginning with either their initial full-time college enrollment or the start of the academic year following their 19th birthday, whichever comes first.

Current student-athletes with remaining eligibility, as well as those initially enrolling during the 2026-27 academic year, will be evaluated under both the previous and new models, with the more favorable outcome applied. Student-athletes who exhausted their eligibility by the end of 2025-26 will not receive additional eligibility.

The legislation also allows the five-year period to be delayed or paused for pregnancy, active-duty military service and official religious missions. Beginning with students who first enroll full time in fall 2027 or later, the age-based model will become the standard for Division II eligibility.

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