If you despite the way college athletics has basically been turned into a minor league professional system, I've got good news. The days of the "professional college athlete" may finally be numbered. On Wednesday, Yahoo Sports reported that the NCAA is considering a radical shift to a "five-for-five" eligibility model. This move that would essentially grant athletes five years of competition, starting at age 19 or high school graduation, and would eliminate the redshirt and medical waiver system.
While a lot still has to go right behind the scenes to make this official, the move is a promising sign that the NCAA is willing to make the change. Kentucky football head coach Will Stein chimed in on the issue, providing a blunt, if not coarse perspective.
"I’m in favor of the five-for-five," Stein told the Herald-Leader this week. "We shouldn’t have 26-27-year-olds playing college football. I mean, go get a job or do something else."
"Go Get a Job"
Stein’s frustration stems from an ongoing trend in which NIL funds have created a "financial trap" for guys good enough to play in college, though not quite on the NFL level.
Before last season, ESPN reported, "Power 4 starters should be making between $1.5 and $2 million, and that elite passers could be worth upward of $3 million to $4 million." They went on to note that some players were seeing 800k salaries.
That number is important, because ESPN also said that, in 2025, the majority of undrafted free agents on the professional level signed contracts around that 800k mark; but those contacts are not guaranteed. They can be cut, and then, the rest of that money is gone. In college, that money is as good as the number on the paper, Therein lies the kicker.
"I think when you’ve added money involved, it’s hard for guys to leave college football because they’re getting a check," Stein continued. "If they don’t feel like they’re going to be making the same amount in the National Football League... they’re going to do everything in their power to stay."
The "5-for-5" Model Works
The current eligibility system is a patchwork wrought from the COVID pandemic, medical redshirts, and "hardship" waivers that have led to a surge in litigation. Athletes are suing the NCAA, and the NCAA is losing. The league reportedly spent $16 million on eligibility lawsuits in the past year alone.
By implementing a "black-and-white" five-year clock, the aim is to cut an even slate for everyone. No more inconsistent court rulings where one guy gets an injunction, and another doesn't.
Preserving Football's Integrity
At the end of the day, this issue limits college sports, in that they were never meant to be a career. Five years is an ideal, more traditional period of time, and is more than enough for any and all college athletes to make or break their case for the next level.
Will Stein played five years of college football himself; he, too knows what it means to be an athlete at this level.
But the limit is about the spirit of college sports, and what it means to be a NCAA athlete. A fundamental difference exists between a 19-year old freshman and a 26-year old man, and that should be qualified, and restricted, in the rulebook.