Five in Five - What Might That Look Like?

Psalm 1 guy

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Nov 3, 2019
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I put Carter and any future five-timers in the same group as the four timers who went four for four. You can only win what was available to you. I like the idea of five in five. I think of someone like a younger true freshman Levi going against sixth year senior Austin O'Connor, and am hopeful the five in five becomes a reality.
 
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tullfan68

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he complains about 5 for 5 saying kids will get left out 1 season like they all gonna start 4 or 5 yrs!same with OK ST etc etc
 

Acacia

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Oct 30, 2021
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FRL reported today that the NCAA votes on "5 for 5" on May 22 and they expect it to pass. It gives another year to Lilledahl (and Davis). No more Levi...

I would imagine Blaze, Duke, and James are not sitting out so best man wrestles.

Also give the 3 Okie State champs a 5th year which will make them "favorites" (pending new superstars to PSU) in 2029 and 2030.
 

Efejle

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FRL reported today that the NCAA votes on "5 for 5" on May 22 and they expect it to pass. It gives another year to Lilledahl (and Davis). No more Levi...

I would imagine Blaze, Duke, and James are not sitting out so best man wrestles.

Also give the 3 Okie State champs a 5th year which will make them "favorites" (pending new superstars to PSU) in 2029 and 2030.
Landon Robideau has won his first and last national championship. THAT I guarantee.
 

District 4

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I find it hard that anyone makes it more than 4 years completely healthy . Im guessing kids are going to wrestle snd coaches will try to have a year to get used to college. If its 5 for 5 snd everyone is going 5 years then all that work to work out lineups using redshirts is out the window. Kids will be going to wyoming so they get 5 years lol
 

El_Jefe

Heisman
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I'm outing myself as not having read the actual proposal ... but here are my questions:
1. Does this supersede the Covid free year? (Some guys who wrestled in 2021 still have eligibility.)
2. Are there exceptions for military service, Mormon 2-yr missions, etc.?
3. Does this mean no more medical hardship exceptions?
4. Will NCAA Wrestling continue the Olympic shirt (which includes an academic deferral)? This program has been a huge win for USA Wrestling.
5. Will grayshirting continue, or does the clock start upon HS graduation?

Some observations:
1. If 2021 is no longer a free year, then Ford Focus is done.
2. If no more grayshirting, the Ivies will be hit hardest. Cornell especially, will be unable to stash guys at Middle Finger Lake Community College, and their Ivy eligiblity clock will start immediately.
3. With no shirt to burn, no more lineup games centered around 5 competition dates.
 

Wrestleknownothing

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I'm outing myself as not having read the actual proposal ... but here are my questions:
1. Does this supersede the Covid free year? (Some guys who wrestled in 2021 still have eligibility.)
2. Are there exceptions for military service, Mormon 2-yr missions, etc.?
3. Does this mean no more medical hardship exceptions?
4. Will NCAA Wrestling continue the Olympic shirt (which includes an academic deferral)? This program has been a huge win for USA Wrestling.
5. Will grayshirting continue, or does the clock start upon HS graduation?

Some observations:
1. If 2021 is no longer a free year, then Ford Focus is done.
2. If no more grayshirting, the Ivies will be hit hardest. Cornell especially, will be unable to stash guys at Middle Finger Lake Community College, and their Ivy eligiblity clock will start immediately.
3. With no shirt to burn, no more lineup games centered around 5 competition dates.
Good news. There is not yet an actual proposal that has been published.

1. Good question. Don't know.
2. I have seen mention of military, religious and pregnancy exceptions.
3. It seems so.
4. I believe not.
5. the earlier of HS graduation and 19 years old. bye bye gray shirting.

As for Ivies I can see two scenarios. Ivies change their rule to match the NCAA rule. Ivies stick with their rule and sell the fact that you can wrestle there four years, get a very valuable degree, then transfer anywhere to finish your fifth year - you have lost nothing - and gained a really valuable degree.
 

El_Jefe

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As for Ivies I can see two scenarios. Ivies change their rule to match the NCAA rule. Ivies stick with their rule and sell the fact that you can wrestle there four years, get a very valuable degree, then transfer anywhere to finish your fifth year - you have lost nothing - and gained a really valuable degree.
Guessing the Ivies retain their current setup, minus the grayshirt.

Downside for them (Cornell; Penn and Princeton to a lesser extent): it's the first 4 years out of HS, at full courseload. They don't get to take the first year of classes at the community college, at a significant discount vs Cornell tuition, and then take fewer classes over the next 4 years at Cornell.

This might not matter to many athletes -- the Ivy degree will still be a draw. But it will matter to some non-zero number of athletes.

Also, some borderline admissions candidates (allegedly Knox) won't have a community college year to get their grades up. They'll have to qualify based upon their HS academics.
 

Dogwelder

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Aug 1, 2013
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... but here are my questions:
1. Does this supersede the Covid free year? (Some guys who wrestled in 2021 still have eligibility.)
2. Are there exceptions for military service, Mormon 2-yr missions, etc.?
3. Does this mean no more medical hardship exceptions?
4. Will NCAA Wrestling continue the Olympic shirt (which includes an academic deferral)? This program has been a huge win for USA Wrestling.
5. Will grayshirting continue, or does the clock start upon HS graduation? ..
Good questions! I take the liberty to add one more: 😀

6. If El Jefe and Efejle should shake hands, would the resulting release of matter-antimatter gamma radiation be sufficient to give Spencer Lee an Ohio State-level tan? 🧐
 

PSU Mike

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Jul 28, 2001
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Will this proposal essentially reduce the number (share) of athletes that compete in March in wrestling? Will it raise the total dual match count for some others, or will ranking/seeding criteria keep that in check?

This could get interesting for the low round and UDFA type football starters in the NIL era.
 
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Wrestleknownothing

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Will this proposal essentially reduce the number (share) of athletes that compete in March in wrestling? Will it raise the total dual match count for some others, or will ranking/seeding criteria keep that in check?

This could get interesting for the low/round and UDFA type football starters in the NIL era.
The share has already been reduced for the past 4 seasons due to the covid year and reduced barriers for redshirts of all kinds. That would have reverted some without this rule change. With this rule change it will become the norm.
 
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Jan 25, 2013
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I know I'm a dinosaur, so this is a good fix for the NCAA. NIL money has changed the landscape ... mostly good, but having 6th and 7th year athletes hanging around to get a paycheck just doesn't sit well with me. COVID is over, it happened ... live and learn from it --- do your 5, stay on with the RTC/Club or go start your career ... I can adopt, FR / SO / JR / SR / 5th year ... anything else is just silly
 

psumac

Sophomore
Sep 18, 2017
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this is going to lead to a lot of hold backs going into high school, right?
 

psumac

Sophomore
Sep 18, 2017
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It's actually lagging the trend of youth hold-backs, by more than a decade.

Most (all?) states have an age cap for HS athletes. That's not changing.

i just figured that currently, most athletes would graduate and move on to college on a normal schedule, knowing that they had a regular redshirt and a medical redshirt (or multiple) if needed. but now that it's 5 in 5 no matter what, there's more incentive to delay when that starts, if possible
 
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Wrestleknownothing

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i just figured that currently, most athletes would graduate and move on to college on a normal schedule, knowing that they had a regular redshirt and a medical redshirt (or multiple) if needed. but now that it's 5 in 5 no matter what, there's more incentive to delay when that starts, if possible
I feel similarly. Why start at 18 when you get the same number of years when you start at 19? Of course, that would have to be planned for well in advance so that HS graduation does not occur until after you turn 19.
 

HugoHugo

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It's actually lagging the trend of youth hold-backs, by more than a decade.

Most (all?) states have an age cap for HS athletes. That's not changing.

My understanding is that the 5 year clock starts when the athlete turns 19, or graduates High School - whichever comes first.

If so, it could get interesting for the Bo Bassetts (and others) of the world.
 
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Wrestleknownothing

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My understanding is that the 5 year clock starts when the athlete turns 19, or graduates High School - whichever comes first.

If so, it could get interesting for the Bo Bassetts (and others) of the world.
Isn't he 19 now, and about to graduate? If so, he would still have 5 years as the wording I have seen is it the five years starts the season after turning 19, or the season after HS graduation - whichever comes first.
 

Misalorales

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Isn't he 19 now, and about to graduate? If so, he would still have 5 years as the wording I have seen is it the five years starts the season after turning 19, or the season after HS graduation - whichever comes first.
The next academic year after turning 19. Basset turned 19 in August before his senior year. I think the question is what is the official start date of an academic year for the NCAA.
 
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Wrestleknownothing

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The nexta academic year after turning 19. Basset turned 19 in August before his senior year. I think the quest is what is the official start date of ana academic year for the NCAA.
Makes sense. Looks like first day of classes was August 20 and his birthday was August 25, so should be good I think.

chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://highschool.mccort.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/2025-2026-School-Calendar.pdf
 
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El_Jefe

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i just figured that currently, most athletes would graduate and move on to college on a normal schedule, knowing that they had a regular redshirt and a medical redshirt (or multiple) if needed. but now that it's 5 in 5 no matter what, there's more incentive to delay when that starts, if possible
Most likely none of them plan on needing medical shirts in college.

Certainly none of them consider college injuries while in youth wrestling, which is when the hold-backs occur.

Hold-backs don't occur in HS except a waiver for extreme legitimate medical issues like a cancer diagnosis. State bodies don't allow it.

HS seniors with injury histories could reclassify like Forrest did, but for nearly all wrestlers that's a year of college eligibility spent on the bench.

So this seems like an extremely low probability of occurring.
 

El_Jefe

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The next academic year after turning 19. Basset turned 19 in August before his senior year. I think the question is what is the official start date of an academic year for the NCAA.
I would expect this to be in line with or after HS state age requirements. No idea about other states, but the PA rule is you're OK if you turn 19 on/after July 1.

Then again, NCAA, so they might pick some arbitrary uncoordinated date and then be surprised by the lawsuits.
 
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Misalorales

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I would expect this to be in line with or after HS state age requirements. No idea about other states, but the PA rule is you're OK if you turn 19 on/after July 1.

Then again, NCAA, so they might pick some arbitrary uncoordinated date and then be surprised by the lawsuits.
That would be good. The first part,that is.
 

Psalm 1 guy

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Makes sense. Looks like first day of classes was August 20 and his birthday was August 25, so should be good I think.

chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://highschool.mccort.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/2025-2026-School-Calendar.pdf
So that would basically ensure Bo will be the oldest or very close to the oldest college wrestler his senior year except for anyone who met any of the three exceptions (military, missions, pregnancy)? I am spit balling here, but might a future recruit who is old for their grade like Bo, choose a program whose school start date would not lose them that fifth year? For instance, what if a future recruit was in Bo's situation, but the final few schools he was looking at had different school start dates, with only one starting before his birthdate? The recruit would probably either choose the school with the earlier start date or re-classify like Jax if they wanted to go to either of the two other schools.
 

Wrestleknownothing

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So that would basically ensure Bo will be the oldest or very close to the oldest college wrestler his senior year except for anyone who met any of the three exceptions (military, missions, pregnancy)? I am spit balling here, but might a future recruit who is old for their grade like Bo, choose a program whose school start date would not lose them that fifth year? For instance, what if a future recruit was in Bo's situation, but the final few schools he was looking at had different school start dates, with only one starting before his birthdate? The recruit would probably either choose the school with the earlier start date or re-classify like Jax if they wanted to go to either of the two other schools.
I love a good optimization problem so I am all in on this.
 
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psumac

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Most likely none of them plan on needing medical shirts in college.

Certainly none of them consider college injuries while in youth wrestling, which is when the hold-backs occur.

Hold-backs don't occur in HS except a waiver for extreme legitimate medical issues like a cancer diagnosis. State bodies don't allow it.

HS seniors with injury histories could reclassify like Forrest did, but for nearly all wrestlers that's a year of college eligibility spent on the bench.

So this seems like an extremely low probability of occurring.

idk, maybe we can call on willie (i forget his username to @ him) to check in with some of his junior high big boarders to see if any are thinking of holding back a year now when, they wouldn't under the old system
 

Mstan85

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Nov 29, 2022
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I'm guessing some lawsuits to reopen the portal window. Eliminating redshirts could have a huge impact on a decision to enter or not. For instance, maybe kasak was told PJ is redshirting, so you wrestle this year.... Then along comes the rule change and kasak is told, guess what pj isn't redshirting,, sorry. (not at all saying that is the case, just trying to give a possible example)
 
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FlyingLion

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So that would basically ensure Bo will be the oldest or very close to the oldest college wrestler his senior year except for anyone who met any of the three exceptions (military, missions, pregnancy)? I am spit balling here, but might a future recruit who is old for their grade like Bo, choose a program whose school start date would not lose them that fifth year? For instance, what if a future recruit was in Bo's situation, but the final few schools he was looking at had different school start dates, with only one starting before his birthdate? The recruit would probably either choose the school with the earlier start date or re-classify like Jax if they wanted to go to either of the two other schools.
Taking this a step further, what happens if a wrestler who barely qualifies for 5 years, like Bo, wants to transfer in college, does he lose a year if he transfers to a school that started their academic year later than his birthday?

I haven't read the proposed rules but I suspect the answer is yes, I doubt the NCAA left that loophole.
 
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