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The NCAA meeting Monday on potential of legalizing a 5th year of eligibility to college athletes. What does this mean for NC State?

Lou Pascucci

Published

2 months ago

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The NCAA Division I Board of Directors is receiving the D1 Cabinet’s report on the “5-in-5” eligibility proposal this Monday because “the issue has reached a point of urgency in college sports governance.”

Ok, there is a ton to unpack here, espeically for those not following closely. But this has potential to be MAJOR news and impact the coming season, so let’s dig in.

NCAA President Charlie Baker is actively pushing for a streamlined, age-based eligibility model: five seasons of competition within a strict five-year window (starting at high school graduation or age 19, whichever comes first). This would largely replace the current “four seasons in five years” system, which has relied heavily on redshirts, medical waivers, and COVID-era extensions for flexibility.

But why?

Well, I think we’re all seeing the ongoing chaos in the transfer portal and coaches tryihng to manage rosters on a yearly basis. With NIL money and unlimited transfers, athletes are staying in college longer or finding ways to extend eligibility through lawsuits and waivers. This has created “seven-year freshmen” and unpredictable rosters for coaches. Theoretically, a fixed clock would bring structure and reduce that instability.

You also have a flood of eligibility-related lawsuits in the works. Athletes have been challenging the NCAA in court to regain or extend seasons. A clear, uniform rule could help the NCAA defend against more antitrust litigation by standardizing expectations.

Then there’s the Baker and some administrators want this addressed quickly, potentially as emergency legislation in May, with possible effect as soon as June or for the 2026-27 academic year. Discussions have been building for months and  recent cabinet and committee work has brought it to a decision point.Yeah, they could wait another year, but that just means another chaotic recruiting/transfer cycle without any clear resolution.
The Monday meeting is not a final vote. It’s receiving options on parameters. It’s kind of a starting point or laying of a potential foundation. A future vote would follow, but the push is for speed to stabilize things ahead of fall 2026.

The timing is also likely due to the Trump Executive Order.

On April 3, 2026, President Trump signed the “Urgent National Action to Save College Sports” executive order.

It explicitly calls for the NCAA to adopt age-based eligibility limits: no more than a five-year participation window, with few exceptions. It sets an August 1, 2026, deadline for the NCAA to update rules on eligibility, transfers (one free transfer), NIL guardrails, and revenue sharing, or risk schools facing federal funding consequences.

NCAA sources have noted that their “5-in-5” proposal aligns conceptually with the EO’s eligibility cap, and the order has added pressure (and political cover) for faster movement. The cabinet’s recent discussions explicitly reference responding to the EO in part.
However, it’s not ALL reactionary. The NCAA had been studying eligibility tweaks (including five seasons) for some time due to internal problems with waivers, lawsuits, and roster bloat. The EO accelerated the timeline and in a way, mainstreamed it. But Baker’s push for quick action (May vote, June effect) suggests the NCAA wants to shape the details itself rather than have them be handed down.

So what does this mean for NC State? 

Whatever effect it has on NC State, it will have for the rest of college basketball, but it’s not like the NC State staff wasn’t aware of this. They have been building their roster expecting this. I mean, think about it, even if you assume this is passed, you can’t just wait around thinking you’re going to build your roster with these guys who just got an extra year. Sure they are likely the most mature players available, but say it doesn’t pass. Then you’re screwed. Even then, the future isn’t rebuilding your roster every year, it’s going to be 2-3 year contracts when all of this is said and done. Stacking up on guys who have one year left just means you’ll have to do this again next year, and it’ll be worse because teams with guys that have multi-year eligability will likely sign those guys to multi-year deals.It seems like NC State is going about this smart. Preston Edmead is a rising sophomore, so he has 3 (maybe 4) years of eligability left. Christian Hammond a rising junior has 2 (maybe 3 years left). Eemeli Yalaho and Kyle Evans are both guys with a year left (but now might have 2).So it seems like the Pack isn’t waiting around for this decision. They are building their roster as if it won’t pass (knowing it likely will) and anything that comes out of it would be a bonus. This to me is the right way to view it, especially with a brand new coach trying to build an entire roster.

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