Colorado eligibility ruling complicates Gonzaga's pursuit of Donovan Dent

The chaotic summer for Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs continues.

On Friday, a judge in Colorado granted eligibility to all members of the high school class of 2022 seeking a fifth year of eligibility for the 2026-27 season. This came after multiple lawsuits were filed across the country, including in Ohio, Tennessee, North Carolina, and California.

Shortly after the injunction was granted, players announced their intention to enter the transfer portal and look for a new home, including former UCLA guard and known Zag target Donovan Dent, as well as former Florida guard Xaivian Lee, St. John's guard Oziyah Sellers, and many others.

However, a clarifying statement by Judge Sweeney on Sunday afternoon revealed that - in contrast to injunctions granted in Ohio and Tennessee - this ruling does not allow players to transfer freely and only clears them to transfer if they had put their name in the transfer portal back in April when it was open.

Judge Sweeney has issued an order clarifying the scope of the injunction issued Friday night.

In doing so, she clarified that her injunction ONLY grants athletes in the class a fifth year. It *does not* enjoin transfer rules, roster caps, rev share caps, etc. https://t.co/ohDiBAKrE5 pic.twitter.com/KZUL5KDCbQ
— Sam C. Ehrlich (@samcehrlich) August 2, 2026

What this means for Donovan Dent

Mar 20, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Donovan Dent (2) | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

A handful of players who are now eligible, including former UCLA guard Skyy Clark and former Saint Mary's, UConn, and UC Santa Barbara guard Aidan Mahaney, who put their names in the portal back in April in the hopes of getting another year of eligibility granted. As such, those players are free to sign with any school they choose - provided the program has available roster space.

However, a player like Donovan Dent - who did not enter the portal - is now only allowed to return to UCLA and cannot play for another program, per the ruling in Colorado.

This severely limits the number of student-athletes who will play college basketball this upcoming season, although it does make it less likely the NCAA will win on appeal.

Don't worry, it gets even messier.

Plaintiffs in both Ohio and Tennessee were not only given a fifth year of eligibility in their injunction rulings, but were also granted the ability to enter the transfer portal without punishment from the NCAA.

So you now have a subset of fifth-year seniors who can transfer wherever to play next season, and a larger group of fifth-year seniors who cannot.

Of course, the lawsuit in California that includes Dent, Clark, Mahaney, and others like Jordan Pope and former Zag WBB player Ines Bettencourt remains ongoing - and it would not be a surprise to see an injunction granted, similar to those made in Ohio and Tennessee.

If that happens, Dent would then be free to transfer wherever, with Gonzaga a top destination for the elite passing point guard.

This story is continuing to develop.

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