The NCAA approves a new eligibility model for Division I athletes that gives players five seasons of competition within a five-year window. The rule applies broadly across college sports under the NCAA umbrella and is designed to reduce uncertainty and litigation that have grown in the transfer portal era. Under the model described by multiple outlets, the five-year period begins with an athlete’s full-time enrollment or, alternatively, the academic year following the athlete’s 19th birthday—whichever occurs first. After that start point, the athlete can compete for up to five seasons while remaining within the five-year timeframe. The NCAA action is taken by an NCAA panel and is characterized as reshaping aspects of college football and basketball, where roster management and eligibility decisions can directly affect team continuity and competitive balance. The outlets also note the rule’s intent to lessen disputes involving athletes seeking to extend playing careers and to address the broader instability created by frequent player movement. The NCAA’s approval marks a shift toward a uniform, age-based structure for eligibility rather than reliance on existing case-by-case or exception-based approaches.