Overview
- President Charlie Baker said the NCAA has not and will not grant eligibility to anyone who has signed an NBA contract, including two-way deals.
- James Nnaji, the No. 31 pick in the 2023 draft who never signed an NBA contract, was cleared for four years and is eligible to play immediately for Baylor.
- The association indicated the bar on eligibility does not automatically extend to G League players without NBA deals or to athletes from other professional leagues.
- Prominent coaches including John Calipari, Dan Hurley, Matt Painter and Mark Few criticized the shifting rules, while Baylor’s Scott Drew defended Nnaji’s addition and pointed to collective bargaining as a path to clarity.
- Baker cited destabilizing court rulings and ongoing litigation as factors in recent decisions, as attorneys in other eligibility cases reference Nnaji’s clearance and the NCAA pursues legislative help such as the SCORE Act.