NCAA Makes Stance Clear on NBA Player Amari Bailey's Quest for College Eligibility

Bailey is attempting to return to college basketball.

Amari Bailey is attempting to return to the college game. | Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images

The NCAA has another eligibility crisis on its hands.

Former UCLA Bruin Amari Bailey, a 2023 Pac-12 All-Freshman selection, is attempting to return to college basketball, he told ESPN's Dan Murphy.

Bailey left after one season at UCLA and played 10 games for the Charlotte Hornets in 2024. Now he's attempting to return to college basketball to further develop his game after a failed early attempt at making a name for himself in the NBA.

This will undoubtedly go to the courts (as all of these questionable eligibility cases do these days), but if it were up to the NCAA, he would not be eligible to return.

"The NCAA has not and will not grant eligibility to any players who have signed an NBA contract," NCAA senior VP of external affairs, Tim Buckley, tweeted on Friday night. "Congress can strengthen NCAA rules so professional athletes cannot sue their way back to competing against college students."

This is just the latest in a series of eligibility questions that have clouded the sport this season. James Nnaji, a former draft pick of the Pistons, and Charles Bediako, a former G League center, have both made their way back to college basketball for Baylor and Alabama, respectively.

Nnaji never appeared in a regular season NBA game. Bediako didn't either, despite signing a two-way contract with the Spurs.

Bailey's potential eligibility would open a new frontier, as he would be the first player who has played in regular season NBA games to return to college basketball.

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