With the complex array of redshirting going on, the NCAA has now standardized on a hard rule, that you have 5 years to play.

These 5 years are "use them or lose them."

The clock starts ticking once you graduate from high school, or when you turn 19, whichever comes first.

The only exceptions are for:

1) Religious missions
2) Military service
3) Maternity leave (irrelevant for football)

No more medical redshirts, no more engaging in lawfare in order to get extra eligibility, no more holding your kid back a couple of years so that he can get those extra years of bulking up.

I'm fine with this, since the way some of these guys are staying in college to milk the system is getting ridiculous, especially when you have a bunch of grown men in their mid 20's still playing college ball.


Link: https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/ncaa-five-year-eligibility-rule-college-football-basketball/