DII Management Council Recommends “Emergency Legislation” for Age-Based Eligibility

The NCAA Division II Management Council has recommended that the Division II Executive Board adopt emergency legislation to establish an age-based eligibility model.  The proposal would create a five-year eligibility period and would be effective immediately for the upcoming 2026-27 season.  It would replace the longstanding tradition model of seasons-of-competition and semesters/quarters that is currently used.  The proposal would include limited exceptions for military service, religious missions, and pregnancy.  The DII Executive Board had just voted on the proposal in January at their annual meeting and referred it back to the management council to delay any further decision until the 2028 legislative cycle.  The change comes as the the Division I council approved its own five-for-five plan in June.