Ohio Order Allows Some Student-Athletes A Fifth Year Of Eligibility

Elmira, NY, October 13, 2026 —

Ohio’s governor has signed an executive order allowing state colleges and universities to grant a fifth year of athletic eligibility to student-athletes who graduated from high school in 2022. The order permits eligible athletes to play beyond the NCAA’s standard eligibility rule, according to the available summary.

The measure applies to the specified high school graduating class and gives Ohio’s colleges and universities the ability to grant an additional year. The summary does not say whether institutions are required to grant the extra eligibility or describe how schools will decide which athletes qualify.

Several details about the order were not provided, including the governor’s name, the date it was signed and the order’s full text. The summary also does not specify which sports are covered, how many athletes could be affected, or whether any conditions or application procedures apply.

The NCAA’s standard rule is referenced as the point beyond which athletes may play under the order. No further details about that rule, or how the state order interacts with NCAA requirements, were included in the summary. The measure’s practical effect will therefore depend on information not provided here, including how individual colleges and universities implement the permission.

The order concerns student-athletes who graduated high school in 2022; the summary does not indicate that it applies to other graduating classes. It also does not identify any next steps, responses from colleges or universities, or statements from the NCAA or affected athletes.

Story summarized from the original created by EDDIE PELLS and ALANIS THAMES, Associated Press on www.mytwintiers.com, see more information here.

Media gallery