All articles tagged with #eligibility rule
UConn coach Dan Hurley criticized the current college basketball landscape after a court ruling on the NCAA's five-year, age-based eligibility clock, saying the resulting chaos hurts roster-building and player development and could push programs to scoop up players from the portal in August; he urged the sport to care more about its health as lawsuits and appeals unfold.
The NCAA approved an age-based five-year eligibility window to be completed within five years of high school graduation or a 19th birthday, with limited exceptions, but it does not apply retroactively to the 2025–26 class. Prominent sports attorney Darren Heitner and partner Ryan Downton are organizing lawsuits in multiple states to seek restraining orders that could allow 2025–26 graduates to return for a fifth season in 2026–27, potentially triggering a late wave of offseason roster moves. The scenario could be bolstered by Congress’s Protect College Sports Act, which would codify a similar rule and are tougher to challenge, though retroactivity and enforcement remain uncertain.