Trey Kaufman-Renn Says Multiple Teams Have Reached Out About Potential Sixth Year
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Most people are accustomed to seeing Trey Kaufman-Renn in a Purdue basketball uniform. On Tuesday, though, the former Boilermaker forward wore a suit and tie to a court hearing, as he tries to receive a sixth year of eligibility.
Kaufman-Renn, who spent five seasons as a member of Purdue's basketball team, filed a lawsuit against the NCAA for an additional year of eligibility. A final decision wasn't reached on Tuesday. Per Nathan Baird of The Indianapolis Star, both sides will submit proposed orders by noon on Wednesday. A ruling is expected to follow.
After the hearing, Kaufman-Renn said that he's been in contact with "six or seven" college basketball programs recently. A former first-team All-Big Ten selection, the 6-foot-9 forward would certainly be an asset to several teams. He did not mention which schools reached out.
As for Purdue, it doesn't sound like Kaufman-Renn would spend a sixth season in West Lafayette.
"I've talked to them," Kaufman-Renn said when asked about Purdue in a video posted by Baird. "There hasn't been any giant conversation around that specifically."
Kaufman-Renn finished his senior season at Purdue averaging 14.2 points and 8.3 rebounds per contest. In four seasons with the Boilermakers, he scored 1,655 points and collected 762 boards.
Why is Kaufman-Renn seeking one additional year?
The NCAA adopted a new five-for-five eligibility model for college athletes. This new rule essentially eliminates redshirt statuses and medical waivers, making life easier for the organization and providing student-athletes with one extra season of eligibility.
Several former student-athletes from the 2022 recruiting class have fought the NCAA for additional eligibility. Kaufman-Renn's situation is different, though, as he was a member of the 2021 recruiting class and spent five years with the Boilermakers.
Kaufman-Renn redshirted in his first season, though he claims that if there was a five-for-five rule when he was a freshman, he wouldn't have sat out his first season. That's a big reason why he's fighting for a sixth year.
"I think it was hearing that a lot of players were in similar positions and were going to get another year to play college basketball, another year to get paid a lot of money," Kaufman-Renn said. "Why shouldn't I be in that group?"
What also makes Kaufman-Renn's case more difficult is that he was selected in the second round of the 2026 NBA Draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves. He was a member of the team's NBA Summer League roster, playing in every game in Las Vegas.
The NCAA is also working to prohibit those who were selected in the NBA, NFL and WNBA drafts from returning to the college level.
At the time that he filed the lawsuit, Kaufman-Renn had not signed his contract with the Timberwolves.
Kaufman-Renn also said that he can earn "substantially more" money by returning to college, making it an appealing option despite his NBA aspirations.
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Dustin Schutte is the publisher of Purdue Boilermakers on SI and has spent more than a decade working in sports journalism. His career began in 2013, when he covered Big Ten football. He remained in that role for eight years before working at On SI to cover the Boilermakers. Dustin graduated from Manchester University in Indiana in 2010, where he played for the men's tennis team.
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