One obvious solution for pro players returning to college

The introduction of Name Image and Likeness was inevitably going to change college sports. Generations of people had to adjust to an idea that had been very against the rules forever. College players can’t make money.

There was another idea that was as ironclad as they come. Once a player hires an agent and/or enters the NBA Draft, they forgo any college eligibility that may have remained.

Obviously the ‘hiring an agent’ aspect wasn’t going to hold up. A person managing a player’s NIL revenue was going to a factor and therefore can't be against the rules, post NIL. 

In 2018 the NCAA announced a rule change that would allow players to return to college if undrafted and withdrawn no later than the Monday following that draft. While this rule change did provide specific situations with options, it also opened a door that should not be open.  

The 2018 rule change comes off as a safety net for players who don’t get drafted or made a mistake by entering the draft. However, the existing rules in an NIL world are blurring the lines of what should be permissible versus what legally can be done based on the letter of the law.

Pro players are coming back to college through a loophole

Since 2023, four players who have entered the draft, played pro ball or entered a professional league and have attempted to resume a college career after the fact.

Amari Bailey (UCLA) played ten NBA games and is currently exploring collegiate options.

James Nnaji (Baylor) committed to Baylor two years after being draft 31^st overall.

London Johnson played three seasons in the NBA’s G League before committing to Louisville in 2026.

Most notably, Charles Bediako (Alabama) was recently granted a temporary restraining order to play in January of 2026 despite playing on a two-way contract in the G League.

These moves are understandable from a human nature standpoint. About 1% of college basketball players will ever make it to the NBA. That number gets drastically smaller when applied to great players and instant success.

From an operational standpoint however, this is a problem that needs an immediate solution. Like any major change to a large entity, not enough consideration was given to what would happen after NIL was approved. How would NIL affect existing rules? Since fringe scenarios were not considered and rules were not put in place, players are coming through a legal crack in the foundation. 

The solution should be obvious

College players making NIL money in college are going to need agents. The NCAA cannot make a new rule that signifies signing an agent as a professional step. They cannot punish players for making money, which should also be obvious. However, there is another elephant in the room.

It should go without saying that any rule changes need the input of legal experts to determine validity and how the new rule(s) might affect other existing rules. Yet one old rule returning or the striking down of a previous rule change could make this problem really simple.

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In 2016 the NCAA made a rule change that allowed underclassmen to participate in the NBA Draft process without losing eligibility. And there lies the problem. Without a legal expertise, it seems rather obvious that if the NCAA could undo that simple little rule change, it would in one move, fix this problem.

It might seem harsh or mean, but that couldn’t matter any less. The solution to this problem is clear. The moment a player declares for the Draft or participates in any form of the NBA Draft process, that player has given up any college remaining eligibility. 

Where to go from here? 

College athletics, basketball specifically, cannot be viewed as a safety net for players who made a poor decision or regret the decision they made. While the current rules and factors allow for some legal wiggle room, this is an open door that needs to be closed.

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Putting all the details aside, the current ability to declare for the Draft, play professional ball for a period of time, only to come back to college is teaching these young adults the wrong lesson. This dynamic is telling them that there are ‘do-overs’ in life. To speak nothing of the roster spot those players are taking from other college players who have not made the wrong decision.

The NCAA needs to address this issue. It's bad for both college basketball and the NBA if players view jumping to the NBA as something they can ‘undo’ if they want to.

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