NCAA proposes college ban for athletes who remain in professional drafts
The NCAA Division I Cabinet is set to consider new eligibility rules this month that would ban athletes who remain in professional sports drafts from competing in collegiate athletics following two high-profile basketball controversies.
The Academics and Eligibility Committee formally proposed the amendments on Wednesday, with definitive cabinet action expected within weeks.
If approved, these stringent regulations will come into effect for new prospects entering the university system this autumn.
Addressing high-profile draft loopholes
The regulatory shift directly follows controversial situations involving former Alabama forward Charles Bediako and Baylor freshman James Nnaji.
Both athletes competed in the collegiate ranks this season despite previously entering the 2023 NBA draft.
Bediako spent three years in the NBA’s developmental G League before filing a lawsuit against the governing body when they initially denied his return to university competition.
A temporary restraining order briefly allowed the Canadian to play five games before the Alabama Supreme Court upheld a subsequent ruling to reinstate his suspension.
Nnaji, originally selected by the Detroit Pistons in the second round, secured eligibility at Baylor because the Nigerian prospect had never signed an official professional contract or played in the minor leagues.
Modernising collegiate regulations
The new proposal mandates that prospects must formally withdraw from opt-in professional drafts to align pre-enrolment rules with post-enrolment standards.
“These proposed changes reflect ongoing work by Division I members to modernize our rules to align with the current era of college sports.”
Josh Whitman, chair of the Division I Cabinet
“As Division I members proceed with reviewing all eligibility rules in the months ahead, our focus will be establishing rules that have objective criteria that can be consistently applied for both prospects and current student-athletes.”
Men’s ice hockey and baseball programmes will remain unaffected by the withdrawal mandate because their respective professional drafts do not require athletes to opt in.
Agent and prize money reforms
The committee has also recommended allowing prospective student-athletes to sign with professional agents prior to university enrolment.
Under existing frameworks, high school prospects are strictly limited to signing agency agreements exclusively for name, image and likeness purposes.
Finally, officials proposed allowing athletes to accept prize money in their respective sports without jeopardising their amateur status.
This financial reform would remove previous collegiate caps that limited earnings strictly to actual and necessary expenses.