Who will get hurt by the "5 in 5" rule?

[scourge165]

5 minutes ago, MPhillips said:

This is also where I was. 

If Bo starts college at 19 doesn't that give him five?

Yeah... I am curious though... he will technically be 19 for a day or two after Va Tech starts classes. So will it even matter in his case?

 

[CHROMEBIRD]

24 minutes ago, MPhillips said:

This is also where I was. 

If Bo starts college at 19 doesn't that give him five?

It's whichever comes first.

Really crazy thing about Bassett: his birthday is Aug 25, 2006. VT's fall semester starts on Aug 24, so he'd get 5. If he was born just a couple days earlier on the 23rd, his bday would've fallen in the previous regular academic year and he would only get 4 seasons. At least I think that's how it works.

 

(EDIT: @scourge165 looks like we're thinking the same thign, lol)

Edited April 27 by CHROMEBIRD

[Fletcher]

1 hour ago, scourge165 said:

Yeah... I am curious though... he will technically be 19 for a day or two after Va Tech starts classes. So will it even matter in his case?

 

5 yrs. from his 19th birthday which was last August.

[Fletcher]

8 hours ago, JVBJ01 said:

The Ivy League Schools will be hurt, because their wrestlers still will only have 4 years to compete.

No worse off than their current situation, which is 4 yrs to complete. And Cornell could still continue their grayshirt scam for kids who aren't already a one-year holdback.

[GimJustafan]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ross Dellenger

 

 

@RossDellenger

 

 

The DI Board of Directors directed the DI Cabinet to continue work on the age-based, 5-year eligibility concept. Big note: Players who exhausted eligibility this year under current rules - even those 4-year seniors - will not receive an additional/5th season. Not retroactive.

[ceraIOI]

14 hours ago, Fletcher said:

And Cornell could still continue their grayshirt scam for kids who aren't already a one-year holdback

is everyone else scamming by taking regular redshirts?

[Fletcher]

42 minutes ago, ceraIOI said:

is everyone else scamming by taking regular redshirts?

If they're in the ivy league where it's not allowed, then yes.

[Interviewed_at_Weehawken]

16 hours ago, CHROMEBIRD said:

It's whichever comes first.

Really crazy thing about Bassett: his birthday is Aug 25, 2006. VT's fall semester starts on Aug 24, so he'd get 5. If he was born just a couple days earlier on the 23rd, his bday would've fallen in the previous regular academic year and he would only get 4 seasons. At least I think that's how it works.

 

(EDIT: @scourge165 looks like we're thinking the same thign, lol)

I thought he was born on day 1 of classes?  It would still prob be the same situation, though...

[ceraIOI]

28 minutes ago, Fletcher said:

If they're in the ivy league where it's not allowed, then yes.

well it's not like it isn't know what they're doing, and it's not like they're getting in trouble with the ivy league

[BruceyB]

On 4/26/2026 at 5:56 PM, Hilton Head Joe said:

Then why did Jax jump at last second? They don't give a rat's sh.. about Bassett or any other wrestling star. This is very high level litigation correction to quell the barrage of lawsuits building against the NCAA. One year holdbacks will be fine for the most part. It's the 2 year holdbacks that are scrambling and in danger of losing a year. Have a good friend who is going to college next year and he is finishing his junior year in HS. Going to summer school to shore up credits to start a year early. He is a two year holdback and is now scrambling. Looks like it is going to work out for him. I wish all these kids the best and am sad for them because of what their parents did. Either way not the end of the world in whatever situation the NCAA decides.   

I don't really even consider Bo 2 year holdback. His birthday is in August which puts him on the bubble for which year he should have "technically" started kindergarten. Most people I know with August birthdays started when they were going to be older for their grade rather than the youngest. He still did a holdback purely for wrestling, so I'm not arguing that, I just think calling it a double holdback is a bit disingenuous. Is Jax considered a double holdback considering he's only 3 months younger than Bo and only 1 year older than normal for his grade?

As someone with a September birthday, if I did a single holdback, I would have been like 3 weeks younger than Bo as a single holdback. It would be different if he was born early in the year and turned 20 during his senior year.. but that's not the case.

[BruceyB]

16 hours ago, CHROMEBIRD said:

It's whichever comes first.

Really crazy thing about Bassett: his birthday is Aug 25, 2006. VT's fall semester starts on Aug 24, so he'd get 5. If he was born just a couple days earlier on the 23rd, his bday would've fallen in the previous regular academic year and he would only get 4 seasons. At least I think that's how it works.

 

(EDIT: @scourge165 looks like we're thinking the same thign, lol)

The ambiguity of these situations is why there is no way that they will rule it based on literally the day you were born. If this were the case, Bo should just wrestle his freshman year at a school on quarters rather than semesters and he would get an entire extra year of eligibility. That's just dumb and there is no way that any governing body is going to come through every single D1 athlete and measure the day of their birth against the first day of classes. Either no one in 2006 will have eligibility or they all will IMO. The NCAA isn't going to be interested in splitting hairs to punish high school athletes that are a year older than their peers. 

Again, the goal isn't to age discriminate (even though many here would love that). The goal is to stop guys from being on college rosters for 7 years.

[juniorvarsity]

17 hours ago, CHROMEBIRD said:

It's whichever comes first.

Really crazy thing about Bassett: his birthday is Aug 25, 2006. VT's fall semester starts on Aug 24, so he'd get 5. If he was born just a couple days earlier on the 23rd, his bday would've fallen in the previous regular academic year and he would only get 4 seasons. At least I think that's how it works.

 

(EDIT: @scourge165 looks like we're thinking the same thign, lol)

and then he would not have held back and would have wrestled at NCAAs this year and may have even won the tournament.

[ScottishSteel]

I know I know "student"-athlete but I'm wondering how the old progress towards degree factor plays into the 5 for 5?  To utilize all 5 years do you need to graduate and start grad school? or does doing a traditional 4 year degree in 5 years count as acceptable progress towards degree.

 

I know, plenty of undergrad students take more than 4 years for a cornucopia of reasons; some of which are valid and others . . . less valid.

[Interviewed_at_Weehawken]

37 minutes ago, ScottishSteel said:

I know I know "student"-athlete but I'm wondering how the old progress towards degree factor plays into the 5 for 5?  To utilize all 5 years do you need to graduate and start grad school? or does doing a traditional 4 year degree in 5 years count as acceptable progress towards degree.

 

I know, plenty of undergrad students take more than 4 years for a cornucopia of reasons; some of which are valid and others . . . less valid.

Being "on track" to graduate is currently being able to finish a four year degree in five years.  I don't foresee this changing.  

Edited April 28 by Interviewed_at_Weehawken

[ScottishSteel]

8 minutes ago, Interviewed_at_Weehawken said:

Being "on track" to graduate is currently being able to finish a four year degree in five years.  I don't foresee this changing.  

Good to know; appreciate the info

[cl415]

Zero chance any seniors from this past year get awarded another year due to this rule. 

Who will get hurt is the guys committed to schools who planned to get creative with redshirts to fit all the studs in. Think PSU and Oklahoma State. It won’t be an option now so I would guess there will be some people reconsidering their options once the rule passes. 

The NCAA needs to get their ducks in a row and make the decision sooner rather than later so people can decide what is best for them. 

[Fletcher]

8 hours ago, BruceyB said:

The ambiguity of these situations is why there is no way that they will rule it based on literally the day you were born. If this were the case, Bo should just wrestle his freshman year at a school on quarters rather than semesters and he would get an entire extra year of eligibility. That's just dumb and there is no way that any governing body is going to come through every single D1 athlete and measure the day of their birth against the first day of classes. Either no one in 2006 will have eligibility or they all will IMO. The NCAA isn't going to be interested in splitting hairs to punish high school athletes that are a year older than their peers. 

Again, the goal isn't to age discriminate (even though many here would love that). The goal is to stop guys from being on college rosters for 7 years.

Nothing to do with his age on the first day of classes. It's 5 years from when he turned 19, which was last August.

[SocraTease]

Who will get hurt by a 5-in-5 rule?

Answer:  Starocci. They may rename his street or demote it to the status of a back alley if someone ties his 5 championships.  

The Erie City Council voted to rename the 1000 block of West 30th Street in Erie, Pennsylvania, to "Carter Starocci 5X Way" to honor the Penn State wrestler's five NCAA Division I titles.The resolution was passed unanimously on May 7, 2025, sponsored by Councilman Chuck Nelson to recognize the local native's historic achievements 

[Alces Alces Gigas]

Has anybody seen the 5 for 5 rules as proposed or just a synopsis posted in a press release?

[CHROMEBIRD]

7 hours ago, Alces Alces Gigas said:

Has anybody seen the 5 for 5 rules as proposed or just a synopsis posted in a press release?

We only get press release level details because it's just a framework right now. The BOD approved proposal and the actual rules are drafted by the D1 Cabinet with all the technical and legislative language before it is finalized. Once there's a draft, it'll be available online in the NCAA Legislative Services database. Until then, this is what it's looking like:

https://www.ncaa.org/news/2026/4/27/media-center-di-board-of-directors-directs-cabinet-to-advance-age-based-eligibility-rules.aspx

[jdalu75]

On 4/27/2026 at 5:34 PM, MPhillips said:

This is also where I was. 

If Bo starts college at 19 doesn't that give him five?

Sounds like it depends on when he turns 19.  I read it to mean that the eligibility clock starts on a guy's 19th birthday, if he's still in high school.

When I mentioned the guys looking for loopholes in an earlier post, I was thinking about the problems created by starting the clock regardless of when a kid begins college.  There are going to be kids who miss years of school due to medical or family issues and graduate late, those who don't get scholarships and need to work after high school to earn money for college, not to mention a few who might be incarcerated.  Do we really take years of eligibility away from them because they don't fit into the cookie cutter?

There will be litigation!

 

[1032004]

On 4/27/2026 at 7:10 PM, Fletcher said:

No worse off than their current situation, which is 4 yrs to complete. And Cornell could still continue their grayshirt scam for kids who aren't already a one-year holdback.

I think it’s a little worse than their current situation if guys can wrestle 5 postseasons elsewhere and only 4 in the Ivy.  But they’d still be able to just transfer after their 4th at an Ivy so it probably wouldn’t be that detrimental to them.

[1032004]

On 4/28/2026 at 2:34 PM, cl415 said:

Who will get hurt is the guys committed to schools who planned to get creative with redshirts to fit all the studs in. Think PSU and Oklahoma State. It won’t be an option now so I would guess there will be some people reconsidering their options once the rule passes. 

The NCAA needs to get their ducks in a row and make the decision sooner rather than later so people can decide what is best for them. 

I’d agree with this.

Edited April 30 by 1032004

[1032004]

This wouldn’t apply to guys who currently still have eligibility but are or will be past 5 years by the time they’d use all 4 based on the current system, would it?  (AJ, Van Ness, Crookham a few guys off the top of my head but would in theory apply to anyone that used both a regular redshirt and a medical redshirt or unenrolled)

[Alces Alces Gigas]

16 hours ago, CHROMEBIRD said:

We only get press release level details because it's just a framework right now. The BOD approved proposal and the actual rules are drafted by the D1 Cabinet with all the technical and legislative language before it is finalized. Once there's a draft, it'll be available online in the NCAA Legislative Services database. Until then, this is what it's looking like:

https://www.ncaa.org/news/2026/4/27/media-center-di-board-of-directors-directs-cabinet-to-advance-age-based-eligibility-rules.aspx

That's the point, many are acting like jailhouse lawyers (compliance officers) without seeing what the rules will really look like.