Some changes once again on JUCO eligibility.
College athletics has changed completely over the last few years as NIL and the transfer portal have all been introduced to the athletes. With even more changes coming in the future, we are starting to see some rulings coming from the NCAA in regard to eligibility.
The hot topic over the last few weeks has been surrounding JUCO athletes. With a decision made to not count those years against the athlete, the NCAA has officially appealed the decision according to Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports.
NCAA Board votes to appeal the Diego Pavia court ruling but also grants a waiver for junior college players in a similar position as Pavia, paving the way for the extension of the careers of hundreds of former junior college players. pic.twitter.com/D4xluz9fBg
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) December 23, 2024
What does all of this mean? Basically, with the appeal, the NCAA has granted a waiver to all players currently on rosters who played JUCO to get an extra year of eligibility. However, the waiver applies only to players who had expiring eligibility and just for next year.
Brought forth by Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia, the Cats will now square off against the talented dual-threat QB next season in Nashville.
For Kentucky, this may also open options for players they recruit from the portal who are coming from the JUCO ranks, as they now would get an extra season in the program.
Things are changing, and this is just another step towards that.