NCAA panel makes a small change in Division I eligibility proposal, could vote on it in late June

INDIANAPOLIS — The NCAA Division I Cabinet put off a vote on the age-based eligibility model it is considering and instead made minor adjustments to the proposal Friday.

The Cabinet removed language about starting an athlete’s eligibility clock after their high school graduation. The proposal now says the clock will start upon initial full-time enrollment in college or at the beginning of the academic year following their 19th birthday, whichever occurs first.

The adjustment would apply to all sports and comes after recommendations from stakeholders in men’s ice hockey, men’s basketball and the service academies. The NHL and NHL Players’ Association announced this week they had raised concerns with the NCAA because hockey players are often older when they enroll after first spending time at the junior level or at a prep school.

Once the college eligibility clock starts, the athlete will be allowed five seasons of competition over five years.

During its May meeting, the Cabinet outlined the anticipated implementation process for athletes with eligibility remaining who have already enrolled in college, as well as prospects who turned 19 prior to 2026 and who have not yet enrolled. Those implementation models will continue to apply but will be updated to reflect the adjustment made Friday.

The Cabinet also reiterated that for current athletes, waivers pertaining to eligibility under current rules must be submitted by schools and conferences no later than July 31.

A vote on age-based eligibility could come during the Cabinet’s June 23-24 meeting.

NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said Tuesday he had spoken with NCAA President Charlie Baker about the matter, which would have caused upheaval in the sport if approved. Union officials agreed.

“There’s a lot going in the NCAA, but when that comes forward it’s incumbent upon us to at least make an impression on how that will affect the entire hockey ecosystem, which is a little different than the other sports, how our guys get to college,” NHLPA assistant executive director Ron Hainsey said. “We’ll continue to try to impress upon them how the whole system would be in shock.”

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