Should Mark Pope and Kentucky fear the NCAA's wrath if they add Mark Mitchell?

It has been a very weird few days in college basketball and college sports as a whole, as players who graduated high school in 2022 and just exhausted their final year of eligibility are taking legal action to try to get an extra year. The five-in-five rule will go into place soon, where players have five seasons to compete in college sports, and there are no exceptions.

Players who just finished their senior year are frustrated because this rule will soon go into place, but they will not get that fifth year. This is why the players who fall under this category are taking legal action to get that fifth year of eligibility. Obviously, the NCAA is not happy about this and is taking its own legal action to try and keep these players from getting this fifth year. Kentucky is involved in this as they are actively pursuing some players after a fifth year, and one of those players is Mark Mitchell.

Mar 19, 2026; St. Louis, MO, USA; Missouri Tigers forward Mark Mitchell (25) talks with the media during a practice session ahead of the first round of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

There is a chance the NCAA will have its hands tied and lose this case. If that happens, all players who graduated high school in 2022 and used their four years will get a fifth. The NCAA would have to let these players play, but one committee member has another idea.

An NCAA Tournament selection committee member talked to Jeff Goodman of The Field of 68 and shared a thought about how he and his fellow committee members could handle this situation. Here is what the committee member told Goodman: “The NCAA may not be able to threaten teams that use players deemed ineligible by the NCAA, but I can penalize them, and so can other committee members if they want, whether it’s by seeding or even not including them in the field.”

Mar 22, 2026; St. Louis, MO, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope reacts to a play during the first half against the Iowa State Cyclones during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

I don’t think that the NCAA would do this, but this is something to look at if you are Pope and the Wildcats wanting to add Mitchell. The reality is that many of the top teams in college hoops are looking to add a player who is getting another year. This means the NCAA would be punishing a good chunk of the field.

The NCAA often makes silly decisions, and this is another one. At this point, just let these kids play knowing what they are fighting for will be the rule in the coming months. It is going to be a very interesting few weeks in college sports as teams look to get seniors back for another year to bolster rosters. Despite this comment from the committee member, if Pope can add Mitchell based on the ruling, he should do it, as the veteran forward would really take Kentucky to another level

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