As college sports prepared to play through the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, the NCAA granted all athletes a blanket fifth year of eligibility to stave off the inevitable flood of waiver requests. The last of those players finished up their collegiate careers in 2024-25.

Now, after one season without fifth-years, they’re set to return. In June, the NCAA announced all Division I athletes will have five seasons of eligibility over a five-year span, beginning with the 2027-28 campaign. The clock starts when they enroll full-time or in the first academic year after their 19th birthday — whichever comes first.

Active athletes, including current freshmen, can use whichever model benefits them the most. After this season, the five-in-five rule will apply to all new players.

Under the old rules, athletes had a five-year window to complete four seasons of competition, but redshirts, injuries, waivers and court rulings allowed players to blow past those limits. The changes are supposed to simplify the process for all involved.

Geno Auriemma supports the new rules — so long as they’re actually followed.

“I guess it had to come to that because there was no such thing as you get five years to play four,” he said. “With all the appeals and all the exemptions and all the lawsuits — you've got guys now suing the NCAA that have already played six years. So if it's five to play five, but that's it — no exceptions, zero — then I think that's a good thing.”

Every program across every sport at the Division I level will be impacted and UConn women’s basketball is no exception. So how exactly will the new eligibility changes impact the Huskies?

Let’s break it down.