NC State and Other Athletic Programs Get Clarity on Potential Eligibility Rule Change
In this story:
RALEIGH — Like many collegiate athletic programs around the country, NC State awaited word of a potential massive shift from the NCAA ahead of the 2026-27 academic year. After years of confusion and a general lack of organization over eligibility, an executive order from President Donald Trump and meetings amongst the governing body seem to have produced a final decision on the matter.
NCAA President Charlie Baker told multiple national media outlets that he believes the previously discussed five-year eligibility rule is more of an inevitability at this point, after meetings throughout the last week. Baker also clarified one of the greater areas of confusion for many athletes and institutions around the country Monday, something that will benefit NC State moving forward.
The rule change... With a caveat
Per the executive order from President Trump, athletes would only be allowed to play and participate in collegiate athletics for a five-year period starting in their freshman year. The ruling would effectively wipe out the redshirt system in an effort to avoid some of the issues with much older student-athletes populating the NCAA since the introduction of the transfer portal and NIL.
Most of NC State's revenue-driving sports rostered athletes who exceeded those eligibility rulings, while some finished their fourth season and were expected to graduate. When news of the potential rule change emerged, several men's basketball players, including Tre Holloman, entered the transfer portal to pursue another season in college basketball.
According to a release from the NCAA, the DI Board of Directors advanced the issue to its cabinet for a vote later in the year, calling for "age-based eligibility" rules. The exact verbiage lays out what the rules will look like from the NCAA's point of view, eliminating some of the speculation schools like NC State were working with.
"After a robust discussion, the Division I Board of Directors on Monday directed the Division I Cabinet to advance an age-based eligibility concept that, if adopted in its current form, would permit student-athletes up to five years of eligibility beginning the regular academic year after they turn 19 or graduate from high school, whichever happens earlier. Under that model, Division I student-athletes would no longer be limited to only four seasons of competition within their five-year eligibility window," the statement read.
The key caveat in the statement was listed below and explained exactly how the potential change would apply to athletes like Holloman, Darrion Williams, Ven-Allen Lubin and any of NC State's other athletes who just finished their fourth or fifth seasons with the program.
"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," the statement said.
If things continue on this track, it simplifies things greatly for NC State athletic director Boo Corrigan, one of the busiest ADs in the nation after dealing with a surprise coaching change this spring for his men's basketball program.
As things stand, it appears any seniors in line to graduate this spring won't be able to make a return to NC State for any sport. Obviously, this change will likely prompt a flurry of legal action from student-athletes against the NCAA, as is the norm in this day and age.
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Tucker Sennett graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in Sports Journalism from the esteemed Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. A former basketball player, he has gained valuable experience working at Cronkite News and brings a deep passion for sports and reporting to his role as the NC State Wolfpack Beat Writer On SI.
Follow SennettTucker