Proposed College Basketball Rule Granting Players 5th Year of Eligibility Would Create Mass Chaos

The potential rule cannot start this offseason for the good of the sport

Mar 14, 2026; New York, NY, USA; St. John's Red Storm forward Zuby Ejiofor (24) with head coach Rick Pitino as he checks out of the game during the second half of the men's Big East Conference Tournament Championship against the Connecticut Huskies at Madison Square Garden. | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

College sports are about to get much more confusing – if that’s even possible – and there could be massive ripple effects as soon as this offseason.

The Division I Board of Directors are scheduled to meet on Monday, according to a report from CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein, and will determine if eligibility should be extended to five years – instead of four years – for all players.

Eventually, the proposed rule change will be elevated to a vote within the committee and could be implemented into college basketball as early as this spring, but it would be a huge mistake for the sanity of the sport.

If the rule goes into place this year, it will be the biggest inducer of chaos college basketball has ever seen. It’ll be so much worse than the transfer portal and NIL have ever been.

Players who are out of eligibility have already entered the transfer portal with the hope that this rule gets passed so they can extend their college careers. Others have accepted their careers of college basketball are over and moved on to trying to make the NBA.

More importantly, coaches have nearly filled its roster with players and there is no space or money to add more players to its roster. There would be players who have signed deals trying to shake free from their commitments based on other teams that would be offering more playing time and money.

It would effectively turn everything in the sport upside down.

There’s nothing against the rule by letting players get five years of eligibility, but it has to be enacted properly and that should be starting next season. There cannot be a grandfather rule for current seniors

Regardless of what happens there will be lawsuits – as what has become typical in college basketball.

In the meantime, it’s a waiting game for players, coaches, agents, and fans but common sense must prevail in this situation and begin the new eligibility rules following the 2026-27 season in college basketball.