A New Look: NCAA lifts ban previously preventing CHL players from participating in the NCAA

Introduction 

Young athletes in any sport face tough decisions, from choosing which school to commit to, or deciding which league to play for. Particularly for young hockey players, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) had a longstanding ban preventing Canadian Hockey League (CHL) players to participate in the NCAA. However, following a recent lawsuit challenging this restriction, the NCAA has decided to lift the ban, allowing CHL players to participate in the NCAA at the start of the 2025-2026 season. 

NCAA Eligibility 

For ice hockey players to be eligible to compete in the NCAA, they must meet the NCAA’s definition of an amateur. To qualify as an amateur, an athlete cannot receive any payment for their athletic performance.¹ Once a player receives compensation for their athletic performance, they are no longer amateurs according to the NCAA.² However, players who receive payment for an approved Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deal are not considered professionals.³ Players who wish to be student-athletes, in the NCAA, must go through an Amateurism Certification process, which verifies their amateur status.⁴ This process is at the NCAA’s discretion, and if a player does not meet the NCAA’s definition of an amateur, they will be ineligible to compete as a student-athlete.⁵ 

The Effect on CHL Players Before the Ban 

The CHL consists of three different hockey leagues: the Western Hockey League (WHL), the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), and the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL).⁶ The original NCAA ban forced many players—some as young as fourteen, fifteen, and sixteen —to make one of the toughest decisions of their lives regarding their future in hockey and education.⁷ These players had to choose between joining the CHL or playing hockey for the NCAA. CHL players were previously barred from the NCAA because they were considered professionals and no longer retained their amateur status.⁸ CHL players receive monthly stipends ranging from $250 to $600, play about 62-game seasons, and have access to free equipment and training.⁹ Unlike the CHL, the NCAA consists of 34 regular season games, free equipment, but no monthly stipends.¹⁰ The monthly stipend is what the NCAA used to distinguish the classification of a professional athlete in the CHL versus an amateur student-athlete in the NCAA.¹¹ This distinction no longer applies stemming from the ongoing lawsuit that was a major contributor to the new rule change. 

Masterson’s Lawsuit Changing College Hockey for Years To Come 

The lawsuit not only pressured the NCAA to lift its ban on CHL players being deemed ineligible due to their lack of “amateur” status but also seeks monetary damages for Masterson and other CHL players from August 12, 2020, to the present.¹² Masterson’s antitrust lawsuit includes claims on behalf of CHL players who missed out on full-ride scholarships and the opportunity to “earn royalties on their name, image, and likeness.”¹³ 

As previously mentioned, the ban is set to be lifted at the beginning of the 2025-2026 season, which could reduce future antitrust lawsuits against the NCAA.¹⁴ Removing the ban creates an open market which would allow top hockey players, and recent draft picks, to compete in both the NCAA and CHL before reaching the National Hockey League (NHL).  

Like Ryan Masterson, many players were affected by this restriction, particularly now that NCAA student-athletes have the right to profit from their NIL deals.¹⁵ Allowing CHL players to compete in the NCAA broadens the market for young talent, giving players more options for their hockey careers.¹⁶ To compete with the NCAA, the CHL will likely increase player compensation and monthly stipends to remain attractive to young talent.¹⁷ The removal of the ban is set to benefit many young players who could receive more money playing in the CHL, along with scholarship, and NIL opportunities in the NCAA.¹⁸ Lastly, it gives players a sense of security now knowing that if they commit to the CHL, they still have an opportunity to play in the NCAA.¹⁹ 

Conclusion 

As the Masterson lawsuit plays out, and once the ban on CHL player eligibility is fully lifted in the fall of 2025, it will be interesting to see where these young athletes choose to play.  

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[1] Anderson, Joyce. “NCAA Amateurism Certification: Why It Matters and How to Request It.” Honest Game, 8 Apr. 2024, honestgame.com/blog/ncaa-amateurism-certification/#:~:text=To%20be%20eligible%20to%20compete,(Winter/Spring%20enrollment).  

[2] Id. 

[3] Id. 

[4] Id. 

[5] Id. 

[6] Iemmolo, Anne-Marie. “Inside NCAA’s Shift on Canadian Hockey League Eligibility.” Cronkite News, 28 Jan. 2025, cronkitenews.azpbs.org/2025/01/28/inside-ncaa-canadian-hockey-league-eligibility/#:~:text=In%20Masterson’s%20lawsuit%2C%20filed%20in,that%20young%20age%2C%20whether%20they.  

[7] Id. 

[8] Id. 

[9] Id. 

[10] Id. 

[11] Id. 

[12] McCann, Michael. “NCAA Ices Ban on CHL Hockey Players but Litigation Keeps Skating.” Sportico.Com, Sportico.com, 7 Nov. 2024, http://www.sportico.com/law/analysis/2024/ncaa-drops-chl-junior-hockey-ban-1234800400/.  

[13] Id. 

[14] Id. 

[15] Id. 

[16] Wawrow, John. “Lawsuit Challenging NCAA’s Ban of Canadian Hockey League Players Could Upend College Hockey.” AP News, AP News, 13 Aug. 2024, apnews.com/article/ncaa-hockey-chl-lawsuit-cfa358bd84487a6500a9a9b8e9e28522.  

[17] Id. 

[18] Id. 

[19] Id. 

[20] The photo. https://www.uscho.com/2024/11/07/ncaa-division-i-council-votes-to-make-major-junior-players-eligible-for-ncaa-hockey-with-change-taking-effect-aug-1-2025-chl-players-still-ineligible-for-d-iii-hockey/