You know, when you think about it, the real constraint here is the 4 year clock.
Quit tying the eligibility clock to the idea that these guys are going to school there and what could you do?
What if guys could play for 6-7 years? Longer? It would drive down prices for HS kids I can tell you that.
Just sayin': The NCAA is seriously considering changing the eligibility to a 5-in-5 clock. Athletes get five years to use their five seasons of competition, starting the academic year immediately after they turn 19 or graduate from high school, whichever happens first. The proposal removes the traditional "seasons of competition" limit and redshirt concepts, replacing them with a flat five-year, five-season limit. The only exceptions would be military service, religious missions, and pregnancy.
Optimistic Baker: New NCAA eligibility rules not retroactive
"If you've used up your eligibility, you've used it up," Baker told ESPN of the tenor of the discussion of the Division I board of directors on Monday.
Baker added that he is "pretty optimistic" the new rules will pass. The age-based eligibility would give athletes five years to compete in Division I, starting immediately after their high school graduation or 19th birthday, whichever comes first.
The Division I board of directors on Monday directed the Division I cabinet to advance the proposal. The cabinet has been discussing the change and will have a meeting about it -- which could include a vote -- on May 22. "Their direction to the D-I cabinet is full speed ahead on figuring this out," Baker said.
Regarding the implementation, the NCAA said in a statement that the Division I board formally recommended Monday to "Maintain existing rules -- allowing four seasons of competition in five years of eligibility -- for student-athletes competing in the 2025-26 academic year; new rules are not expected to retroactively apply to student-athletes whose eligibility is or will be completed by the spring of 2026."
Baker added to ESPN regarding the implementation directive: "A lot of the coaches, in particular, said this would be enormously challenging in a lot of ways. And I completely understand where they are coming from. It would also be unfair to a lot of these kids who are going to be part of the new world and weren't part of the old world."
Baker expounded on his optimism: "I'm pretty optimistic it's going to happen. Mostly because the primary conversation hasn't been about the idea of an age-based eligibility model being controversial. A lot of people are familiar with it because they've dealt with it in other settings, and they understand the simplicity of it."
Though there has been discussion about different sports being affected differently, particularly college hockey, Baker said he doesn't foresee any sports having exceptions. "The age limit is going to be the age limit," he said. "That's going to be across the board."
