A new report released this week states the NCAA could rule top international prospects ineligible for college athletics.
Such an action by the NCAA could make a serious impact on college basketball, where NIL changes have caused a surge in college basketball programs seeking roster additions from around the world.
Kevin Sweeney reports for Sports Illustrated that the NCAA issued guidance earlier this month regarding updated pre-enrollment eligibility requirements. This focuses mainly on compensation from professional teams, with the NCAA document specifically mentioning the NFL, NBA, MLB, WNBA, and Premier League. However, it could also apply to high-level international basketball leagues.
Instituting such a change to take effect immediately would cause significant chaos in the college basketball world and could affect both the Kentucky men’s and women’s basketball teams. Ousmane N’Diaye on the men’s side and Ajša Sivka on the women’s side are both expected to be key roster pieces for Mark Pope and Kenny Brooks.
Most of these international prospects have also agreed to lucrative NIL deals, so it’s hard to imagine that such a decision by the NCAA wouldn’t be faced with multiple lawsuits.
The question also remains: How aggressively will these rules be enforced? Sweeney notes in the SI report that the enforcement level remains unclear.
This will certainly be something to watch moving forward, given the impact it could have on Kentucky and many programs across the country.