After two high-profile cases in basketball this season, the NCAA Division I Cabinet will consider proposed changes to eligibility rules, including one that would bar athletes who entered and remained in a professional sports draft from competing in college.
The Academics and Eligibility Committee proposed the changes on Wednesday, and Cabinet could take action within weeks. The new rules, if approved, would be effective for athletes entering college this fall.
“These proposed changes reflect the ongoing work being done by Division I members to update our rules to keep them in line with the current era of college sports,” said Illinois Premier Athletic Director Josh Whitman. “As Division I members continue to review all eligibility rules in the coming months, our focus will be on creating rules with objective criteria that can be applied consistently for both prospective and current student-athletes.”
One proposal would require prospects withdrawing from professional league drafts selected, including the NBA draft, to bring pre-college draft registration rules in line with post-college draft registration rules. Men’s ice hockey and baseball will not be affected because athletes do not elect to participate in those sports’ drafts.
The proposal comes after two basketball players, Alabama’s Charles Bediako and Baylor’s James Nnaji, played in college this season after entering the 2023 NBA draft.
Bediako played two seasons at Alabama and entered the draft. He was not selected but played three years in the G League, the NBA’s minor league. He sued the NCAA after it denied Alabama’s request to allow him to return to collegiate competition this season.
Bediako’s lawyers argued that he remains within his five-year college eligibility window, an NCAA rule that is the subject of several other lawsuits. The judge, who later recused himself from the case, issued a temporary restraining order that allowed Bediako to play while the case progressed. He played in five games before another judge lifted the order in a decision upheld by the Alabama Supreme Court.
Naji, from Nigeria, was selected by the Detroit Pistons in the second round of the draft. He played professionally overseas before enrolling as a freshman at Baylor in December. He was granted eligibility because he had never signed an NBA contract or played in the G League.
The Academics and Eligibility Committee also suggested allowing prospective clients to sign with agents before enrolling in college. Under current NCAA rules, prospects are allowed to sign with agents only for name, image and likeness purposes, with exceptions for baseball and hockey players who can enter into agreements with agents if they are drafted.
The committee also proposed allowing athletes to accept prize money in their sports without affecting eligibility. Currently, prospective players can only accept prize money up to actual and necessary expenses, with the exception of tennis, which allows up to $10,000 in prize money.
