Key Takeaways<\/p>\n
NCAA\u2019s proposed \u201c5-in-5\u201d rule would allow college basketball players five seasons of eligibility in five years, eliminating traditional redshirting<\/p>\n
Current seniors, including Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year Braden Smith, may not benefit if the rule isn\u2019t enacted by this month<\/p>\n
Big Ten coaches report hearing \u201csomething different every week\u201d on timing, with most expecting implementation no earlier than 2026-27<\/p>\n
The rule change would reduce roster spots available for incoming high school recruits, pushing more athletes toward junior college or lower-division programs<\/p>\n
Purdue\u2019s redshirt success with Trey Kaufman-Renn, who became an All-American candidate after sitting out 2021-22, represents the development model at risk<\/p>\n
Conflicting Timelines Create Roster Planning Challenges<\/p>\n
College basketball coaches at Big Ten Media Days in Chicago received no clear answer on whether the NCAA\u2019s proposed \u201c5-in-5\u201d eligibility model will take effect for the 2025-26 season.<\/p>\n
The proposed rule would allow players five seasons of competition within a five-year span, removing the traditional redshirt year where athletes practice but don\u2019t compete. Nebraska coach Fred Hoiberg said the latest information suggests implementation won\u2019t happen this year. \u201cThe thing about it is you hear something different every week,\u201d Hoiberg said. \u201cThe last we heard, it\u2019s probably not going to happen this year, but it may happen in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n
Minnesota coach Niko Medved said that for the rule to apply to current seniors, it would need approval before football season ends. \u201cMy feeling is that it doesn\u2019t happen this year, unless it happens quickly,\u201d Medved said. \u201cIf you try to do it retroactively later, that might cause some challenges.\u201d<\/p>\n
Current Senior Class Faces Eligibility Uncertainty<\/p>\n
The timing directly affects top seniors who could use an additional year of development. Purdue guard Braden Smith, named Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year, would have the option of a fifth season if he\u2019s not selected in the 2026 NBA Draft. UCLA point guard Donovan Dent, another preseason All-American selection, would exhaust his eligibility next March or April under current rules.<\/p>\n
UCLA coach Mick Cronin referenced the uncertainty while discussing Michigan State transfer Xavier Booker at media days. \u201cWhen you\u2019re 6-foot-11, if he has a good year, he\u2019ll be drafted,\u201d Cronin said. \u201cWhether it\u2019s this year, next year, or his fifth year.\u201d<\/p>\n
Maryland coach Buzz Williams pointed to immediate recruiting decisions affected by the uncertainty. \u201cI think this is the first season since COVID that we do not have COVID eligibility players competing, right?\u201d Williams said. \u201cIf the rule took place and was voted on today, I think any coach would want to know, \u2018Does that apply to the team that I have?\u2019 Because that would dictate who I should or shouldn\u2019t be recruiting now.\u201d<\/p>\n
How the Proposed Model Changes Player Development<\/p>\n
The proposed model would eliminate redshirting as currently practiced in college basketball. Coaches have just two scrimmages to determine if a player will redshirt before they become ineligible to sit out for the season. \u201cYou get two scrimmages to figure out if you\u2019re going to redshirt somebody and then they can\u2019t play again,\u201d Iowa coach Ben McCollum said. \u201cIt just doesn\u2019t make any sense.\u201d<\/p>\n
Purdue coach Matt Painter has used strategic redshirting to develop players. Current All-American candidate Trey Kaufman-Renn sat out the 2021-22 season before becoming a key contributor. \u201cI\u2019m not a big fan of it,\u201d Painter said of the proposed change. \u201cI don\u2019t like giving them more opportunities to leave. I want to give them more opportunities to stay and grow and develop as a group.\u201d<\/p>\n
Michigan State coach Tom Izzo expressed support for standardized rules across programs. \u201cThat\u2019s one of the things that would be even for all of us,\u201d Izzo said. \u201cSome of these other things are not even for all of us.\u201d<\/p>\n
Effects on High School Recruiting and Alternative Pathways<\/p>\n
The rule change would increase competition for roster spots, with 23-year-old fifth-year veterans potentially taking positions that would otherwise go to incoming freshmen. This would likely push more high school seniors toward junior college, Division II programs, or low-major Division I schools.<\/p>\n
Minnesota coach Niko Medved said elite prospects would remain unaffected. \u201cIt\u2019s not going to change Cooper Flagg,\u201d Medved said, referencing Duke\u2019s top freshman. \u201cCooper Flagg would have been the No. 1 pick in the draft whether he went to Duke or Delaware State. But a lot of these guys, the decisions that they make earlier on in their careers is going to have a huge impact on them playing at the next level.\u201d<\/p>\n
Michigan coach Dusty May questioned where the age limit should end. \u201cI mean, I love coaching older guys, so it would be fun,\u201d May said. \u201cI just worry that then it\u2019s going to be 6 for 6 and 7 for 7. What\u2019s the right cutoff to not be on a college campus? I don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
What Coaches Face Without Clear Direction<\/p>\n
With no implementation timeline confirmed, coaches must plan rosters without knowing whether current seniors can return for a fifth year. The NCAA\u2019s administrative processes historically move slowly through multiple approval stages, making rapid enactment unlikely despite some speculation it could happen this month to align with football\u2019s transfer portal window in early January.<\/p>\n
Programs must now balance recruiting high school prospects against potentially retaining experienced players for fifth seasons. The uncertainty affects scholarship allocations, NIL budget planning, and multi-year roster construction across Division I programs.<\/p>\n
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