The current NCAA rule is that athletes have five years of eligibility to play four seasons, with the possibility of using a redshirt year for a fifth season, but there are technicalities that some athletes take advantage of in order to extend their playing years.
There has been talks about whether NCAA should adjust or review the rules. Some athletes play JuCo or NAIA before entering NCAA programs, thereby making them eligible for the NCAA years on top of the ones they’ve spent outside NCAA.
ESPN Analyst Has a Solution to NCAA Eligibility Issues
Some athletes are currently in the transfer portal without any college eligibility left and they are seeking waivers for different reasons, with some even considering legal actions and people are beginning to prefer solutions.
ESPN’s college basketball analyst, Fran Fraschilla suggests that there should be five full years of eligibility at all NCAA levels in a five-year window and nothing more. He also added that there should be One one-time transfer exception and the second transfer should require a sit-out season.
Fran’s Plan to Fix NCAA Eligibility
(I’m perfectly aware that this makes too much sense to implement.)
Five full years of eligibility at all NCAA levels in a five-year window—PERIOD.
One one-time transfer exception and the second transfer requires a sit-out season.
The…
— Fran Fraschilla (@franfraschilla) May 10, 2025
His exception to the one-time exception would be if the head coach of the school leaves for another job or is fired, the athlete receives immediate eligibility at the next school.
“JuCo transfer who receive a two-year degree retain four years of NCAA eligibility but not five. This [ensures] that they are closer to the degree requirements at their Division 1 school.” He said.
“Players who arrive from having played international basketball at the professional level and are over the age of eighteen, forfeit one year of their five years of eligibility for every year they played in a professional league.”
There’s been reports that the NCAA is considering applying the football redshirt rule to all sports, which could potentially provide a uniform fifth year of eligibility for all athletes across all sports, similar to what Fraschilla is proposing.
KEEP READING: 2025 Men’s College Basketball Transfer Portal Tracker
The COVID-19 pandemic caused disruptions to the 19/20 season so athletes that took part in that season have the option of an extra year although the just concluded season is the last season such option is valid for. NCAA might address the eligibility criteria in the coming years.
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