Gonzaga Nation

College basketball world reacts to NCAA denying eligibility waiver to Tyon Grant-Foster

Grant-Foster will have a preliminary injunction hearing on Thursday
Andy Patton|
Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Tyon Grant-Foster (7).
Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Tyon Grant-Foster (7). | Photo by Mercedes Smith

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Over five months after he committed to Gonzaga in the transfer portal, Tyon Grant-Foster had his waiver for another year of eligibility denied by the NCAA on Friday.

Grant-Foster has already filed a lawsuit and has a preliminary injunction hearing in Spokane on Thursday. If granted, the 6'7 wing could get an opportunity to play for the Zags temporarily while his lawsuit is ongoing.

The timing is very significant for Gonzaga, which is just 16 days away from their season opener on Nov. 3 against Texas Southern, and they would really like to know if their projected starting small forward is going to have any chance of playing this season or not. And it's a case that has caught a lot of attention from college basketball fans on social media, who are surprised Grant-Foster was denied a waiver considering the extensive medical issues and other extenuating factors that seemed to give him a clear case for another year.

Grant-Foster began his collegiate career at Indian Hills Community College in 2018-19, spending two years at the junior college level before transferring to Kansas, where he appeared in 22 games during the 2020-21 season.

The 6'7 wing then ended up at DePaul and played the first half of the team's first game before he collapsed at halftime due to a heart condition. He ended up having multiple surgeries and missed the next two seasons before emerging at Grand Canyon ahead of the 2023-24 campaign.

After winning WAC Player of the Year for the 'Lopes, Grant-Foster came back for another year in 2024-25, appearing in 26 games. With the NCAA temporarily changing the rules to allow junior college athletes an extra year, Grant-Foster was expected to have his waiver approved.

However, the NCAA has been stringent on the 'five-year window' rule as of late — although appeals have been granted.

Social media was ablaze after the news came out, with many shocked the NCAA would deny a waiver this late in the offseason — and especially after giving Grant-Foster a practice waiver just a few weeks previously.

Here are some of the best social media reactions to the Grant-Foster news:

Gonzaga will play an exhibition game on Sunday, Oct. 19, against NAIA Northwest University. Graham Ike, Braden Huff, Adam Miller, and Braeden Smith are all projected to start for coach Few, and whoever starts alongside them - likely one of Steele Venters, Jalen Warley, or Emmanuel Innocenti - is a strong bet to be starting again in November.

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Andy Patton
ANDY PATTON

Andy Patton is a diehard fan and alumnus of Gonzaga, graduating in 2013. He’s been the host of the Locked On Zags podcast covering Gonzaga basketball since 2021, and one of two co-hosts on the Locked On College Basketball podcast since 2022. In addition to covering college basketball, Andy has dabbled in sports writing and podcasting across nearly every major sport dating back to 2017. He was a beat writer covering the Seattle Seahawks from 2017–2021 for USA TODAY, where he also spent one year each covering the USC Trojans and Oregon Ducks, and had a stint as the lead writer for College Sports Wire. Andy has also written about the NBA, NHL, and MLB for various news outlets through TEGNA, including KREM in Spokane, CBS8 in San Diego, and KING 5 in Seattle. After stints in Spokane and Seattle, Andy is back in Oregon near his hometown with his wife, daughter, and dog.

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