Agreed. Crazy. Your last point while only having a small impact on the women's game has huge implications to the men's game and some of their international transfers.
Another 'buckle up" moment looks like it's coming for D1. Will it influence some coaches willingness to add transfer kids now? Realizing their current Jrs and younger may be able to stay a 5th year. Kinda has to really. More kids in the portal will not land back in D1 this cycle I predict, even though it could be a record number of kids in there! IMHO - the 5th year policy can go next year if they want to but the age requirement HAS to be grandfathered in. You can't take roster spots and therefore scholarships from kids currently enrolled if you really care at all about graduation/degree completion. ------------------------ NCAA President Charlie Baker tells ESPN’s Pete Thamel he’s “pretty optimistic” that the new aged-based eligibility proposal will happen and the board will meet again on May 22. “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. …It's a significant shift. It's one that I think, because of the simplicity and ease of understanding, in particular, has a lot of support in the membership.”
Picture is getting clearer (sort of) on implementation. The NCAA distributed a chart to member schools outlining the implementation scenarios of the 5-year, age-based eligibility concept.It’s clear the NCAA is expecting to adopt the concept for 2026-27.Important: Final waivers under current rules must be submitted by July 31. pic.twitter.com/LXJmGJbi2C— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) April 30, 2026
OK sooo........ Its gonna pass right? And it will start in fall of 2026 right? In the fall of 2026, those seniors will be able to ask for a 5th year (if they have not already RS)? Or are the fall of 2026 seniors out of luck? My kid is a 27 in the middle of her recruiting. A coach just told her that if the 5 for 5 passes, they are done with their 2027s. If it doesn't, she is in a great position.... Is she ********ed? Id rather know now so I can tell her.
Are there any other college sports where the roster limit is less than 3 times the starting amount of players? The limit doesn’t make sense.
Not a simple answer - depends on the quality of Sr players on the college team and how many would really want to stay. That coach, any coach, does not HAVE TO keep any 5th year players in 27 and certainly does not HAVE TO pay them. Many could just say, we are waiting to redistribute our budget for 28-29. BUT - does that coach want that 5th year all-conference forward playing on their schedule for another team?? There are going to be some interesting situations and I would guess lots of committed 2027s will be hard done by a good college 26 Sr Class with kids wanting a 5th year. About to see what coaches are more Win Now, to keep their jobs and which ones might be more about honoring commitments and be more gradual about the change. NO Question, they have all been in touch with their current rising Sr players to see who's interested. Also no question some 27s will be decommitted and 2028 recruiting will start much slower this cycle. Many D1 ath depts are circulating memos and meeting about this right now. If I had to guess, 80% happening for Fall 26. Also true that some conferences may not adopt the 5th year option - Ivy League for sure, and others may try to delay implementing 5th year options but if it passes, the portal will be crammed with 5th year kids. Likely worse than covid.
Thanks. I'll break it to her. It's looking like she's screwed tho. Absolute bollix. I'm beginning to think all of my wrongdoings are coming back to haunt her. Roster limit, portal, and now 5 for 5.
This gives me an excuse to ask a question about US college soccer, since I only use to follow professional soccer and it's just occasionally that I read the threads here on the Women's College section, so I honestly don't know the answer: have college soccer unlimited substitutions for any given match or are there some limitations as at pro-level?
In the first half, there is no re-entry for subbed players. In the second half, a player subbed out can come back one more time.
Is this in any way different from other college sports? If yes, it could partially explain more limited rosters. If not, there has to be some other reason.
One other item, though, there are no limits on how many players can be substituted for. Somewhere on here there is a post about other sports, identifying sports with equivalent or even more restrictived roster limits, but soccer is not the most limited in proportion to numbers of players on the field.
Is there a limit for the amount of times substitutions can take place? Like in professional football only 3 moments where substitutions can take place, outside of the half time break.
This 5th year policy is going to be handled differently at lots of places. Every kid is not going to suddenly want to stay in college a 5th year. Some graduate early and don't stay for 4 seasons! MANY do not have full rides or will be offered their full current funding. That 5th year will cost them. Grad credits cost a ton more at lots of schools and they may not get a dime of help in year 6 to complete a Graduate degree program. Others may specifically want a certain Graduate degree and seek them out. I made the point many posts ago, how many women's soccer players would choose to stay a 5th year? IMHO, its going to be less than many think. 1-2 per school... maybe? Some younger ones may slow roll their credits to just graduate in Dec of year 5 but that only works at the home school so they better know the coach wants them for year 5! There will be some chaos initially as kids explore that 5th year in the portal but there will be less money out there then there is presently. Rosters and budgets won't change. So, even for the most mercenary coaches - it is a balancing act - is that 2027 commit going to be better than the 26-27 college Sr I could try to have stay next Fall? Do I want my opponent to get the 2027 player I might decommit or my Sr going to the portal? Very different and specific answers across the board. Good luck to your player! When one door closes, another one opens...
No. However, NCAA soccer does not have a continuously running clock as in professional futbol, so substitutions are not ordinarily made to use up the remaining game time. (And feigned injuries also cannot be used to do that.)
Begs the question for professional soccer - why not stop the clock and remove the incentive for time-wasting and the mystery of added minutes? I know it’s advanced technology, but maybe it’s time for professional soccer to enter the 1950’s.
It's one of the main elements I like in College soccer, more pure playing time, the backwards counting clock so everyone can see when the ref stops the time and can see how much more time is left. Also the "running" substitutions vs the annoying time delaying strategy in professional soccer. One thing I don't enjoy is the amount and frequency of substitutions, it makes it a complete different game.
Yes. Although I do see a reason for it beyond game strategy - enabling coaches to spread playing time among players. I can't imagine college coaches supporting any changes to it.
kindly take discussions of college playing rules to another thread. There are places folks will talk about rules all day....
A vote is not expected during Friday’s DI Cabinet call regarding the NCAA’s proposed 5-year, age-based eligibility rule. Discussion on the topic is expected to continue with action now anticipated at their next meeting the week of June 22.Overwhelming support remains.— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) May 21, 2026 The wait goes on another month. But does a month delay do anything to screw up programs? By time this is sorted schools with be 3-4 weeks away from starting pre season.
Yes it does! June 15th is before this decision date now. No question that the very top kids will get offers right away and probably regardless of this policy. But, this will be a massive topic of discussion at ECNL in NC and could come out during the GA event in CA. It will affect some 2027 commits for sure and no doubt that some coaches will slow-roll their 2028 offers at least until they can talk to their current players and maybe confirm things with their admins. Ideally, some coaches might like to see their current Jr class play in the Fall before they decide to offer them a year 5 spot or go to a class of '28. For current college players, there will be lots of anxiety about whether to play a 5th year or not and whether it might be at their current school or not. Do you stretch out undergrad credits for a 5th Fall or get to 120 so you can be a grad transfer? School and conference Admins will be having alot more summer talks as well. Some will be more prepared than others. Could be an interesting summer.
Dellenger said "overwhelming support remains" in that tweet... turns out the hockey folks are using a 'gap year' hockey juniors league to groom college and NHL prospects and they like it alot. 5in5 will be disruptive to some sports a bit more than others. Mike McMahon @MikeMcMahonCHN The NHL, CHL, USHL, and USA Hockey joined college hockey coaches and commissioners pushing back against the NCAA's 5-year eligibility proposal. https://f.mtr.cool/dzjhojpsyy
Yea, there was a little bit of a twitter wormhole with all the hockey people talking about this. A major league pushing back against it was news to me. I didn't know hockey had this going on tho, so it was also news to me. The hockey pathway to the pros is kind of bonkers. Also for the record, what Will Wade is doing at LSU right now is some of the worst I've ever seen. It's pretty gross. Paying a bunch of pros from Europe is pissing alot fo people off. But since it's NCAA basketball, and not mens soccer, people are pissed.
Here's what came out of Friday's D1 cabinet meeting. Every college player from current Jrs on down could be affected. See if you can guess the sentence telling hockey to piss off!? JuCo sports could be drastically diminished in some sports by this as well. More statements will likely come out in opposition. IMHO- In this environment, it's hard to argue against something that gives the vast majority of kids more options and more money and more time to graduate. College coaches who complain - no one is forcing you to keep 5th year kids (no more than the injured kids with waivers you might now). Some schools and conferences will likely opt out anyway. Recruit 6 kids each year, keep 2 spots for transfers and 2 for 5th years. Not brain surgery. Unless you want to keep recruiting kids at other schools and get them in the portal...oops that was supposed to be a secret... Cut/paste below as well. https://www.ncaa.org/news/2026/5/22...f-age-based-collegiate-eligibility-model.aspx Media Center 5/22/2026 3:57:00 PM Meghan Durham Wright Division I Cabinet continues discussions of age-based collegiate eligibility model Cabinet determines likely implementation process; vote on overall concept expected in June The Division I Cabinet on Friday discussed possible implementation of an age-based eligibility model, should the concept ultimately be formally proposed and approved. The Cabinet also signaled that it would consider voting on the age-based eligibility model at its June meeting. If adopted, the age-based eligibility model would replace current eligibility rules in Division I, instead allowing student-athletes up to five years of competition within their chosen sport during a five-year window that begins the academic year following their high school graduation or their 19th birthday, whichever occurs first. Under the age-based model, waivers would no longer be available to extend eligibility, with exceptions for pregnancy, official religious missions and active-duty military service, provided the student-athlete does not participate in organized competition. Sport-specific exceptions and grace periods are not expected. In an effort to provide clear and predictable guidelines and make a transition to the model as seamless as possible, the Cabinet outlined the expected implementation process, should the change be adopted. Specifically, the implementation options currently contemplated include: Student-athletes whose fourth season of collegiate eligibility was completed by spring 2026: No additional eligibility. Currently enrolled student-athletes with eligibility remaining after the 2025-26 academic year: Flexibility for schools to apply the age-based model or continue with the previous eligibility rules (four seasons to compete with five total years of eligibility), whichever is most beneficial to that individual. Prospects expected to graduate from high school in spring 2027: Age-based model only. Prospects expected to graduate from high school in spring 2026, regardless of planned enrollment date: Age-based model only. Prospects who graduated prior to spring 2026 and have not enrolled: The NCAA Eligibility Center will review the prospect's individual circumstances and apply the age-based model or existing delayed enrollment eligibility rules, whichever is most beneficial to that individual. For schools with current student-athletes who may be eligible for hardship waivers or extensions of eligibility, the Cabinet indicated that the deadline to submit any waiver requests to NCAA staff is July 31. After that date, waivers would no longer be available for current student-athletes or prospects.
The question though is it the college coach who gets to decide if they can "keep" a kid, or let them go after they complete their fourth year? My understanding is that the kids decide this; not the coach. Essentially if a kid is in good academic standing and has a fifth year of eligibility, they get to stay if they want and the coach has to keep that player on scholarship for that fifth year. Coaches can't just cut an eligible kid with eligibility. This makes planning for college coaches a pretty damn tough task, a coach doesn't know who the hell is staying for a fifth year or not. If a number of players stay for fifth years, all the coach can do is decommit kids before they sign financial aid agreements prior to freshman year so they can stay within the 28-player limit since they can't cut current kids (including those that want to stay for a fifth year).
Great questions - will players be entitled to a roster place and same scholarship for a 5th year? So, are they entitled to a 4th year or even 3rd year now? Is dropping a player for roster rule change or budget reasons going to be allowed? For the currently enrolled players, it's going to be very tricky with academics and credits too. They still need to be enrolled FT and so eligible. Add a minor or 2nd major for a 5th Fall? What if they decide on Grad school? - They have to get admitted? Many are competitive, so what if they don't? You know coaches will try to extend players as undergrads for just one season/semester so they only cost for the Fall semester. Winter sports can't do that (and would be same for D1 men if the full year season is approved.) Will current players now and for the incoming '26 and '27 recruits- will they have to 'declare' they want to be a 4-year or 5th year player?? When would they decide? It's almost certain that the Ivy League says no thanks and stays with a 4-year rule. So nearly all of them would be in the portal should they choose to be. Fun times!