Report: NCAA to Vote on Fifth Year of Eligibility After House Settlement

Following the conclusion of the much-anticipated House Settlement, wherein the NCAA will issue roughly $2.8 billion in back pay to former and current student-athletes who would’ve received compensation for their services under the Name, Image and Likeness guidelines implemented in 2021, the league will weigh whether or not to permit a fifth year of eligibility for all student athletes.

CBS Sports insider Jon Rothstein tweeted the first report on the matter of eligibility. As of right now, it’s unclear whether the ruling would apply to outgoing seniors and graduate students.

If so, that could go a long way toward helping Villanova Men’s Basketball flesh out their roster ahead of the 2025-26 season: they currently have at least five spots left to fill. Players like Jordan Longino and Jhamir Brickus are out of eligibility but unlikely to hear their names called in the NBA Draft this offseason: another season in college would give them a chance to earn money for their talents through NIL deals (not to mention continuing their education), while building a résumé for professional teams.

It would also impact recruiting, as a bevy of older athletes staying in school for another season would take up spots that would otherwise give incoming freshmen a chance to compete. Villanova forward Enoch Boakye, who is ostensibly out of eligibility but entered the transfer portal following the conclusion of the Wildcats’ season, may have done so in anticipation of the NCAA’s ruling.