MSU's Hopes of Fifth Year for Cooper, Kohler Take Big Hit
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The NCAA would rather not allow Jaxon Kohler, Carson Cooper, and others in similar situations as them to play college basketball this season.
Two of Michigan State's starters from this season's team have likely been holding out a bit for the NCAA's potentially incoming "5-for-5 rule," which would essentially allow college athletes to play five collegiate seasons, rather than the previous four, while also basically eliminating redshirts.
The NCAA's Statement
On Monday, the NCAA released a statement saying the Division I Board of Directors directed the Division I Cabinet to advance the massive rule change, which is a big step towards formal adoption. The question now was whether seniors this year would be grandfathered in.
Unfortunately for Kohler and Cooper, they wouldn't be allowed to play under this proposed new system, with the statement saying it wants to "Maintain existing rules — allowing four seasons of competition in five years of eligibility — for student-athletes competing in the 2025-26 academic year; new rules are not expected to retroactively apply to student-athletes whose eligibility is or will be completed by the spring of 2026."
Not Over Just Yet
This is not technically the end yet, but it's definitely a setback if Kohler and Cooper want to play college hoops next season, when they would presumably also make the most money. Excluding 2025-26 seniors will almost certainly lead to a lawsuit from someone, whether it's Kohler, Cooper, or anyone else.
The NCAA hasn't exactly won a ton in court recently, which is why there could still be hope, but allowing hundreds of previously ineligible seniors back into college hoops would cause a massive roster logjam that would have an impact on the sport for a while with the current 15-person roster limit (minus designated student-athletes). The NCAA would likely argue that allowing all those players back in would cause more harm to others than good for the seniors.
What's Next for MSU
Tom Izzo and Michigan State can also only wait for so long. The Spartans still have at least one more roster spot they can hand out right now with the portal departure of Divine Ugochukwu and the arrival of Charlotte transfer Anton Bonke.
It's okay if Izzo seems content with his potential roster and rotation at the moment, but it's still probably wise to use that spot somehow. There is probably a point guard in the portal right now who would be fine being MSU's third option and have their main role be running the scout team. Izzo could also take a flyer on a walk-on out there. No matter how he uses it, it's definitely better to have somebody, rather than nobody.
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A 2025 graduate from Michigan State University, Cotsonika brings a wealth of experience covering the Spartans from Rivals and On3 to his role as Michigan State Spartans Beat Writer on SI. At Michigan State, he was also a member of the world-renowned Spartan marching band for two seasons.
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