NCAA proposes barring players who opt in to, remain in draft

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 have entered and remained in a professional sports draft from competing in college.

The Academics and Eligibility Committee proposed the changes Wednesday, and the cabinet could take action within weeks. The new rules, if approved, would be effective for athletes entering college this fall.

“These proposed changes reflect ongoing work by Division I members to modernize our rules to align with the current era of college sports,” said Illinois athletic director Josh Whitman, chair of the cabinet. “As Division I members proceed with reviewing all eligibility rules in the months ahead, our focus will be establishing rules that have objective criteria that can be consistently applied for both prospects and current student-athletes.”

One of the proposals would require prospects to withdraw from opt-in professional league drafts, including the NBA draft, to bring pre-college enrollment draft rules in line with post-college enrollment draft rules. Men’s ice hockey and baseball would not be affected because athletes don’t opt in to 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 wasn’t selected but played three years in the G League, the NBA’s minor league. He filed a lawsuit against 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 multiple other lawsuits. A judge, who later recused himself from the case, issued a temporary restraining order that allowed Bediako to play while the case moved forward. He played in five games before another judge lifted the order in a decision upheld by the Alabama Supreme Court.

Nnaji, from Nigeria, was selected by the Detroit Pistons in the second round of the draft. He played professionally overseas before he enrolled 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 proposed that prospects be allowed to sign with agents prior to enrolling in college. Under current NCAA rules, prospects are permitted to sign with agents only for name, image and likeness purposes, with exceptions for baseball and hockey players who can enter agreements with agents if they are drafted.

The committee also proposed that athletes be allowed to accept prize money in their respective sports without impacting eligibility. Currently, prospects can accept prize money only up to actual and necessary expenses, except in tennis, which permits up to $10,000 in prize money.