On June 13, the NCAA adopted a new rule regarding redshirts for Division I football. A look at the old rule and new rule:
Old rule: Players had five years to complete four years of eligibility, and if they appeared in any game in a season, that season would count as a year of eligibility burned. There were injury exceptions in which players could apply for an extra year of eligibility had they only played briefly early in a season.
New rule: Players still have five years to complete four years of eligibility, but they can participate in as many as four games in one season — at any time and in any order, consecutive or not — without forfeiting a year of eligibility. If they play in a fifth game, that year counts toward the four years of eligibility. Basically, a player will have four years of eligibility, plus an additional four games in a fifth season. The new rule also eliminates the need to apply for a medical hardship waiver.Randy Johnson
