Potential NCAA Rule Change Could Majorly Shake Up MSU's Roster
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Michigan State basketball's next roster may not be set, after all.
The Spartans have added Charlotte transfer Anton Bonke to help solidify MSU's frontcourt. Bonke is coming to East Lansing to help replace the void left behind by Carson Cooper and Jaxon Kohler. The only thing is that Kohler's and Cooper's collegiate careers might not necessarily be over yet.
Something the NCAA and President Charlie Baker seem to be trying to implement is the "five-in-five" rule. Even with all the dramatic shifts in recent years to college sports, from NIL to the transfer portal, to conference realignment, this one would be right up there.
The proposed change would make eligibility more age-based, rather than based on how many years someone has played college sports. It would give athletes five years from the time they graduate from high school or whenever they turn 19, whichever comes first. Redshirts and medical waivers would basically become a thing of the past.
Impact on MSU
If the NCAA enacts this new rule in the coming months, that might mean Kohler and Cooper become eligible again. There are still questions on whether outgoing seniors would be grandfathered into the system, but it's hard to imagine the NCAA not receiving a ton of legal pushback if it were to initially not allow four-year seniors to play.
Every four-year senior becoming eligible again would cause a massive ripple effect across college sports. Teams cannot rely entirely on those players becoming eligible right now, so they've been filling spots in the transfer portal.
Roster Space Problems
MSU currently has 14 players rostered for 2026-27. If no one on the team is classified as a DSA (designated student-athlete), the Spartans wouldn't have space for both Kohler and Cooper, since the roster limit is 15. The NCAA would probably have to create a one-time transfer portal period for this exact situation.
Michigan State might have to tell somebody on the current roster to go elsewhere, or Kohler or Cooper would have to pick another squad. Both of them would command some nice NIL dollars in the transfer portal as productive starters on the team that was the No. 9 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Plenty of teams will be dealing with this problem, but it's definitely a problem that's okay to have. Bringing back Cooper and/or Kohler would give the Spartans another starting-caliber forward or center and make MSU, a team that can easily go 11-12 deep next season, even deeper.
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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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