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How Many Years Can You Play College Football? Updated [2023]

The athlete has five years to play in four competitive seasons, after which they must quit the team. This clock is not reset if a player decides to transfer and must sit out an eligibility waiting period of one year. The NCAA allows athletes to compete in four sports seasons for five years, with the fifth year as a red-shirt year.

A red-shirt year allows athletes to sit out a year of competition (due to injury or competing for playing time) and still compete in all four years of athletics. Are you looking for the best gifts for your children who are involved in a college football team?

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So, how long can you play college football? While competing in National University Games/Championships, all eligible students must meet the following conditions:


They must be 28 years old as of July 1 of the academic year. The top age limit for Basketball and Football is 25 years, according to FISU regulations.

How Many Years Can You Play College Football?


Is there an age limit for college sports? Well! The athlete has five years to play in four competitive seasons, after which they must quit the team. This clock is not reset if a player chooses to transfer and must sit out an eligibility waiting period of one year.


How Will This Change College Coaches’ Recruiting Needs For Fall Sports?


Since players are entitled to return for the 2021-22 season regardless of the number of games they played in the 2020-21 season, some coaches may shift their recruiting efforts to concentrate on bringing back existing seniors. For instance, when the NCAA first gave eligibility relief to spring athletes in 2019-20, we asked college coaches if they expected seniors to utilize their extra year of eligibility.

43% of spring sports coaches said they anticipate seniors to return for an additional year of eligibility. College coaches can delay their recruitment numbers as they engage with current seniors to assess the number of athletes who intend to return for a different season while focusing on the current team.

Many college coaches utilize the transfer portal to find trustworthy athletes who have already demonstrated their ability to play competitively at the college level and handle their academics.

What About Athletic Scholarships?


Two elements determine the availability of D1 and D2 level scholarships. The NCAA scholarship restrictions for each sport and whether the institution is fully funded. For D1 fall sports, scholarship-holding seniors who will use their extra year of eligibility will not contribute against the team’s scholarship maximum for the 2021-22 season.

D2 institutions cannot grant additional scholarship funds to fall sports recruits due to the lack of waivers at the D2 level. This does not imply that a college will exceed the maximum scholarship limit. Depending on their funding, each institution will determine how many scholarships they can offer to each team.

In a recent survey, eighty percent of college coaches stated that they have no plans to reduce scholarships as part of budget-cutting initiatives. This will hopefully ensure that the maximum number of athletic scholarships will be available for the 2021-22 academic year and potentially even exceed the maximum amount.

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How A College Football Player Gets 7 Years Of Eligibility


Bryton Barr, a linebacker 23 years old, began his college football career at Towson in 2012. The transfer from UMass can conclude his career in 2018. age limit for college football PennLive says that Barr petitioned the NCAA for two additional years of eligibility and was granted both. If everything goes as planned, a Division I athlete will arrive on campus, and a five-year clock will begin.


The athlete has five years to play in 4 main seasons, after which they must quit the team. This clock is not reset if a player decides to transfer and must sit out an eligibility waiting period of one year. However, it is conceivable to receive more than five years and to compete in more than four. There are numerous methods, but the simplest is to get injured.

The medical hardship waiver is the most prevalent method for gaining additional years.When a player is injured and loses a season, his club can petition the NCAA for an offsetting year of eligibility. Typically, these requests are granted if the player did not participate in more than three games or 30 percent of the game threads in sports other than college football.

Deontae Cooper, the running back for San Jose State, has also done so, despite having three years wiped out by injury. It has also occurred at Utah and Robert Morris throughout the previous decade. Some notable athletes, including the former quarterback of Houston, Case Keenum, have reached six touchdowns.

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NCAA Age Rule Hurts Younger College Athletes


According to the NCAA; there are no age restrictions for athletes. However, Division I players must enroll in college one year after graduating from high school and have only five years to finish a standard four-year degree.

At the Division III level, players still have just four years of eligibility, but they are free to space out their seasons whenever they see fit. The restrictions are more stringent since Division I sports are more intense and the stakes are higher.


Frequently Asked Questions


Q1. Can You Play More Than 4 Years Of College Football?
Ans. NCAA student-athletes are permitted to compete in one sport for four seasons. Division I and II student-athletes, participating any time during a season, is considered to have competed for an entire season.

Q2. How Long Can You Play College Football?
Ans. The NCAA allows athletes to compete in four sports seasons for five years, with the fifth year as a red-shirt year.

Q3. How Many Years Can You Play College Football Before Going Pro?
Ans. To be qualified for the draft, players must be at least three years removed from high school. They must have exhausted their collegiate eligibility before the beginning of the next college football season.

Q4. What Is The Max Age Of A College Football Player?
Ans. According to the NCAA, there are no age restrictions for athletes. However, Division I players must enroll in college one year after graduating from high school and have only five years to finish a standard four-year degree.

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Hi there, My self Aniket Jain. A virtual SEO expert, content writer, and digital marketer. Works with lots of passion, hardly dedicated to what's best and what's next ✌️. Hope u all like my work ✌️

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