Ohio Governor Releases Executive Order Changing MJ Collins' Eligibility Status For Cincinnati

The MJ Collins eligibility saga for Cincinnati Bearcats basketball got another boost on the rollercoaster Tuesday. Collins is apparently now eligible again after Ohio Governor Mike DeWine issued an executive order stating that all athletes trying to play at Ohio universities from the Class of 2022 are now eligible (if they haven't played professionally).

This all comes a week after the Ohio Court of Appeals denied the players' appeal against the NCAA to get their eligibility back.

The declaration from Dewine is laid out below:

WHEREAS, student-athletes enrolled in colleges and universities within the State of Ohio deserve to be treated fairly and equitably, and no less favorably than student-athletes in any other state; and WHEREAS, the National Collegiate Athletic Association ("NCAA') is a private association that acts as a governing and regulatory body for high-level collegiate sports in Ohio and across America; and WHEREAS, recent changes have been made to eligibility requirements for collegiate sports by the NCAA that uniquely and unfairly impact student-athletes who started college in 2022.

The net result is that these student-athletes are generally, according to the NCAA's interpretation of its manual, not eligible to compete in the 2026-2027 academic year;

and WHEREAS, the NCAA is supporting federal legislation, the Protect College Sports Act, section 113 of which would make the Class of 2022 eligible to compete in the 2026-27 academic year. While that bill has passed the U.S. Senate, it has not passed the U.S. House and thus has not yet been passed into law;

and WHEREAS, athletes in the Class of 2022 across the country have challenged the NCAA's application of its rules to preclude them from competing in 2026-27, and trial courts in multiple states have entered orders allowing them to compete while their claims are adjudicated;

and WHEREAS, Ohio's colleges and universities will compete in the 2026-27 season against institutions whose student-athletes have been permitted to play a fifth year by those orders, while similarly situated student-athletes in Ohio remain unable to compete;

NOW THEREFORE, I, Mike DeWine, Governor of the State of Ohio, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of this State, do hereby order and direct that:

No State institution of higher education or private college or university in Ohio shall uphold any rule, requirement, standard, or other limitation that prevents a student-athlete of that institution or college in the Class of 2022 from fully participating in intercollegiate athletics in the 2026-27 academic year, regardless of whether the student-athlete completed four seasons of intercollegiate competition or exhausted eligibility under 2025-26 NCAA regulations or any prior regulations, and regardless of any athletic authority's interpretation or application of applicable NCAA eligibility bylaws, so long as:

The student-athlete was within five years of his or her 19th birthday and five years of enrolling in college as of the start of the 2026-27 academic year;
The student-athlete was eligible, academically and otherwise, at the conclusion of the student-athlete's last season of collegiate competition; and
The student-athlete has not participated as a professional athlete in a professional sports league, including but not limited to the National Football League, National Basketball Association, and Women's National Basketball Association.

2. A State institution of higher education or private college or university in Ohio that permits a student-athlete to practice or compete in accordance with this Order does so at the direction of the State of Ohio and in compliance with the public policy of this State

Dewine is going over the NCAA's head on this one and trying to end the charade once and for all. Collins has been rolling back and forth all summer and fall between being eligible and ineligible.

Collins played in the August Bahamas exhibitions, but was not allowed to suit up in the CareSource Invitational last week. He'd be arguably UC's best player if this is the final decision.

The 6-foot-4, 195-pound three-level scoring wing was one of two Aggies to start all 36 games last season (30.7 minutes per outing). He led the team and ranked fourth in the Mountain West in scoring at 17.5 points per game while also averaging 2.5 rebounds and 1.6 assists on 48.7% shooting (36.1% from deep).

Cincinnati has another exhibition on Saturday at 5 p.m. ET against Illinois.

This Ohio order - the enforceability of which is in question as with any executive order - drops on the same day as oral arguments in the NCAA's federal eligibility case (Wisne) in the 10th Circuit.

Per @McCannSportsLaw, NCAA may win based on arguments:https://t.co/JlQpUj1YdZ https://t.co/pLi71vjshe
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) October 13, 2026

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