NCAA's "Five-in-Five" Rule Could Blow Up College Basketball's Transfer Portal Game

College basketball is about to get flipped upside down, and Gonzaga fans need to pay attention. NCAA president Charlie Baker is pushing hard for what's being called the "five-in-five" eligibility ruling, and if it passes, the entire landscape of the transfer portal and roster management could change overnight.

What "Five-in-Five" Actually Means

Here's the deal: under this proposal, student-athletes would get five seasons to compete over a five-year window. The clock starts when they finish high school or turn 19, whichever comes first. Simple, right? Baker thinks so. "The goal here was to come up with something that was a lot simpler and sort of familiar," he said. "We all grow up playing sports and our kids grow up playing sports with U-10, U-12, U-15, U-18, U-20, U-22 leagues. An age-based dynamic is pretty familiar. That's how most amateur sports organize who gets to participate."

The rule would essentially eliminate the vast majority of waivers and redshirts, something that's been a major headache for the NCAA thanks to constant lawsuits. Limited exceptions would exist for religious missions, active military service, and maternity leave, though you can bet litigation challenges are coming if this actually gets implemented.

The Chaos That Could Come Next

Here's where it gets wild for teams like Gonzaga: student-athletes who played four straight years are suddenly eligible to return for a fifth year under this rule. That sounds good in theory, but the transfer portal is already exploding because players are preemptively jumping ship to lock down that extra season and secure a fat NIL payday before they hit the real world.

The NCAA hasn't figured out yet how to handle guys who are currently ineligible but would become eligible under this new system. That's the massive question hanging over everything.

Support Is Building, But Litigation Looms

WCC commissioner Stu Jackson is on board. "This is probably the best option that we have at this point," he said. "Five in five years doesn't absolve us from potential litigation, but it certainly gives us the best fighting chance to avoid it. I'm very supportive of it."

The chaos is coming whether we're ready or not.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.