NCAA will require incoming players to turn down NBA Draft as college eligibility battles continue

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Scott Wachter / Getty Images Share full articleThe NCAA Division I Cabinet on Tuesday agreed to adopt a proposal that would require pre-college basketball players to withdraw from the NBA Draft if they want to retain college eligibility. The package of new pre-enrollment eligibility rules moving forward also included allowing prospects to sign with agents before they enter college and lifting restrictions on prize money athletes can accept for competing in their sports. The cabinet meeting runs through Wednesday, and all of its decisions become official when it adjourns. Changing the draft rules would affect all opt-in drafts, such as the NBA and NFL, but would not include Major League Baseball and the NHL. Athletes do not declare for those drafts as those leagues permit teams to select players based on their high school and college class status. The changes would go into effect for athletes entering school for the 2026-27 school year. The cabinet was also expected to begin discussions this week on another piece of potential eligibility legislation that would give all athletes five years of unlimited competition, eliminate redshirts and almost all waivers and start eligibility clocks at the age of 19 or upon high school graduation, whichever comes first. Those ideas still need to be widely considered by Division I membership but could potentially be in place before next school year. The reforms come as former professional players have flocked to college basketball to cash in on the hundreds of thousands of dollars available through name, image and likeness deals and revenue-sharing payments. A version of five-for-five eligibility was among the suggested changes contained in President Trump’s most recent executive order on college sports. The change to the draft opt-in rules would prevent a player such as James Nnaji, who did not play in college before he was drafted by the Detroit Pistons in 2023, from being eligible to play college basketball next year. The 7-footer signed with Baylor during last season, sparking an uproar among college coaches, though he made little impact in 18 games with the Bears. Nnaji planned to enter the transfer portal but has not yet announced a new college home. The new rule would not entirely cut off the pro pipeline that has formed to college basketball, with former G Leaguers such as 20-year-old Dink Pate, who recently signed with Providence, still eligible. Pate initially skipped college and went straight from high school to the G League Ignite team. The NCAA hopes the next phase of age-based eligibility reform could further stem the flow of players with pro experience from heading for college basketball, or at least more aggressively cap how long they could be eligible when they arrive. The set of changes could also address the legal vulnerability of the NCAA’s eligibility waiver system. Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia’s lawsuit in 2024, which challenged the way the NCAA counts junior college participation toward its eligibility clock, set off a flood of antitrust cases attacking eligibility rules. The NCAA has fared well overall in defending its position in court, though athletes have shifted to filing claims that target waiver rulings at the state level. The results have been mixed. Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss was granted an injunction by a Mississippi judge that cleared the way for him to play a sixth college season after the NCAA rejected his medical hardship claim. On the flip side, Tennessee quarterback Joey Aguilar and Virginia quarterback Chandler Morris are among the athletes who have had state courts rule against them as they have looked for injunctive relief after failing to get a waiver from the NCAA. The latest idea would reserve exceptions for military service, religious missions and pregnancy. Otherwise, an eligibility clock would start upon high school graduation and/or an athlete’s 19th birthday, whatever comes first, and end after five years no matter how much the athlete participated. Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Ralph Russo is a Senior Writer for The Athletic, covering college football. Before joining The Athletic, he spent 20 years as the lead national college football writer for The Associated Press. He also previously worked as the AP's Mississippi-based sports writer and did a stint with The Denver Post. Ralph is a native New Yorker and a graduate of Fordham University.