Two people with knowledge of the situation said Wednesday that an NCAA panel is set to discuss possible changes to eligibility rules that would include age in the process.
The people spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the NCAA has not publicly discussed the proposal. He said the matter was to be reviewed and discussed by the Division I Cabinet next week, but did not vote for implementation.
The proposal was also reported by several outlets. An NCAA spokesperson did not immediately return a message left by the AP.
proposal, which Mirrors the language written in the executive order Issued by President Donald Trump last week, athletes will have five years of eligibility with the clock starting on the earliest of two dates: either when they turn 19 or graduate high school. There will be limited exceptions but they will not include injuries, which has been a common reason for players seeking additional eligibility.
It is still unknown whether the rule will protect the NCAA from lawsuits over eligibility. Dozens of players have sued for additional years, claiming that injuries and other circumstances make them candidates for additional eligibility. The NCAA is seeking limited antitrust immunity from Congress to stop these lawsuits.
Speaking at the Final Four over the weekend, NCAA president Charlie Baker said Trump “wanted to figure out a way to get something on the books that works and represents what most people are looking for at this point, which is a very simplified eligibility process, which is what we’re talking to our committees about.”
