Just when it appeared that the college sports landscape was already out of control, it has started to get even crazier. A wave of players, particularly some big names in college basketball, have entered the transfer portal just in case a new rule allowing a fifth year of eligibility is passed. Now, it is fair to wonder if some of Texas Tech's roster from 2024-25 will do the same.
At the heart of this movement is a potential rule change being considered by the NCAA. For several months, the idea of giving athletes a fifth year of eligibility has been discussed in NCAA circles.
That is a proposal that has arisen as a result of athletes suing the NCAA for the right to have an extra year to play after spending time at the JUCO ranks. For instance, in December, Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia was granted an extra season in the NCAA after filing a lawsuit claiming that losing a season of Division I eligibility because of playing in the JUCO ranks hurt his ability to earn NIL money.
After the courts granted Pavia a temporary injunction to play in 2025, NCAA leaders began to mull over the possibility of giving all athletes five years to play while doing away with redshirt seasons. Currently, players have five years to play four seasons, but the proposed rule change would do away with that system.
However, no decision on a rule change is expected to be made until after the settlement in the landmark House lawsuit against the NCAA is settled, something that is expected soon. Still athletes are making plans just in case changes go into effect.
Monday, prominent college athletes such as Clemson Tigers forward Ian Schieffelin and Kansas Jayhawks guard Shakeel Moore entered to portal despite being out of eligibility. Schieffelin said on X that he was doing so ahead of Tuesday's portal closing deadline to keep his options open.
How a rule change could help the Texas Tech basketball program
The debate over an extra year of eligibility has already impacted Texas Tech on the football field. For instance, potential starting offensive lineman, Davion Carter, has returned to the Red Raiders despite being a senior in 2024 because he began his college career at the JUCO ranks.
However, Texas Tech's basketball team could benefit even more by an across-the-board fifth-year issuance for athletes. While seniors such as Kerwin Walton and Chance McMillian would not be impacted, given that they played five years at the Division-I level due to the extra year of eligibility granted to players who were in school during the COVID-19 pandemic, point guard Elijah Hawkins would be a player who could still have a year to play.
The dynamic 5-foot-10 Hawkins started his career at Howard University, where he spent two seasons. There, he appeared in 59 games, averaging 12.9 points and 5.8 assists per game.
Then, he transferred to Minnesota for the 2023-24 season. That year, he scored 9.5 points and handed out 7.5 assists per game.
In May of last season, Hawkins signed with Texas Tech for what was expected to be his final NCAA season. Helping Tech get to the Elite Eight, he started 34 of 35 games, averaging 9.1 points, 6.5 assists, and 1.5 steals per game.
Currently, Tech is in the market for a ball-dominant guard capable of helping star sophomore Christian Anderson handle the point guard duties next season. Head coach Grant McCasland and his staff would probably love nothing more than to have Hawkins back for one more season to fill that role, given that he already has a year in the Red Raiders' system.
Thus, it is worth watching to see if the NCAA eventually makes a change to its eligibility rule. It could forever alter the landscape of college athletics and potentially help the Red Raiders fill an important need as they try to put together their team for next season.