Reclassing in Sports: Navigating Eligibility and Fairness

“Reclassing” or reclassifying in sports is when a student-athlete delays their graduation to gain an extra year of high school athletic eligibility, often by repeating a grade or taking a post-graduate year. This strategy is used to develop athletic skills, improve academic standing, and gain a competitive advantage in recruitment. While it can lead to benefits, such as increased physical and skill development and a better chance at scholarships.”

Why am I bringing this up? I’ve been a huge lacrosse fan for the past four years, closely analyzing teams and stats. The USA Lacrosse U20 team is a select group made up of the best 20-year-olds chosen to represent Team USA. While following college teams, I noticed some familiar names—Anderson Moore and Owen Duffey, both from the class of 2027. But then I saw a couple of other names that really surprised me: Brendon Million and Robby Hopper. My jaw dropped. To explain why I was so shocked. Brendon and Robby were both a grade ahead of me, being the class of 2029, and now, as 20-year-olds, they were college freshmen playing on Team USA. Brendon Million went to McDonogh and won three MIAA championships. Robby Hopper was ranked as the number one defenseman in his class. The MIAA is known as one of the toughest lacrosse divisions in the country. It hit me that players were basically playing against grown men, and recruiting was more difficult for younger players.

This gave me the deep dive to determine whether reclassing is abusing player eligibility.

Reclassing can create an uneven playing field for other athletes. While it may help some players develop their skills, it often creates an unfair advantage due to the age difference. Older athletes tend to be more physically developed, which can make them much more dominant compared to their younger teammates or opponents—for example, a 23-year-old competing alongside 18-year-old freshmen.

Another reason players were able to play another year was COVID-19. The pandemic disrupted the 2020 college sports seasons, and the NCAA granted all student-athletes in winter and spring sports an extra year of eligibility. This meant that athletes who played during the 2020–21 academic year did not lose a year of eligibility, effectively allowing them to compete for an additional season beyond the usual limit. The NCAA made this decision to compensate for the shortened or altered seasons caused by health restrictions, canceled games, and other pandemic-related challenges. As a result, many athletes were able to stay in college sports longer than usual, even if they had already used up what would typically be their final year of eligibility. This rule also applied to basketball players like Hunter Dickinson, allowing him to return for additional seasons beyond the standard four years. Some players stayed for a total of six years.

Two lacrosse players in action during a match, one wearing a Maryland jersey with the number 44 and the other in a white Cornell jersey. The game takes place on a bright green field with a crowd in the background. — Courtesy of University of Maryland – Photo by Ian Cox/Maryland Terrapins

Elijah Stobaugh ’27 is a lacrosse midfielder who just wrapped up his sophomore season at Maryland. The catch? He’s 22 years old, which is not ordinary. Elijah was listed as the 22nd-best player in the class of 2023. He started his lacrosse journey at Lakewood Ranch before transferring to Salisbury School. After their season ended, he decided to redo his junior year at IMG Academy. In time, he will be 24 years old as a senior.

Born in 2000. Dickinson was ranked as the number nine prospect in the national class of 2020. By December of that same year, he had already grown to seven feet tall.

As a sophomore, Dickinson played a key role in leading his team to its first-ever Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (WCAC) championship in 2018. He also helped DeMatha win the Maryland private school championship, scoring 31 points in a close 64–58 victory. Because of his efforts, he earned a spot on the First Team All-WCAC, all by the age of 18.

Basketball player wearing a yellow Michigan jersey, number 1, smiling while holding a basketball.

In 2019, Dickinson was selected to compete for a spot on the 12-man United States men’s national under-19 basketball team for the FIBA Under-19 Basketball World Cup. Just imagine guarding a 20-year-old who represented Team USA..

Hunter Dickinson had a standout college basketball career, beginning at Michigan, where he led the team in scoring and rebounding for three straight seasons, earned multiple Big Ten honors, including Freshman of the Year, and achieved 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, and 1,500 points while maintaining strong academic performance. Dickinson transferred to Kansas, where he quickly became a key player, earning Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year and multiple Player of the Week awards. He recorded notable performances, including a 27-point, 21-rebound game, and surpassed 2,000 career points. In his fifth year, Dickinson continued to excel, posting career highs, earning first-team All-Big 12 honors, and achieving his 50th career double-double while maintaining strong scoring and rebounding averages. Throughout his college career, Dickinson combined athletic excellence with academic achievements and significant NIL earnings, establishing himself as one of the top collegiate players in recent years.

Hunter achieved all this while being two years older than the other players.