NCAA votes: 5-years for Players

[Carolina151]

 

[Carolina151]

 

[tarboy]

How will that apply to UNC WBB going forward? Will this years senior class get and extra year?

 

[KenbudUNC]

From Mitchell Northam on X.

 

[23UNC]

The lawsuits for this year's class will begin soon. This year's graduating class do not get an extra year.

 

[Jriv23]

The lawsuits will not win with this going into place. The players who graduated this year are just victims of circumstances. That is the same as the 2020 class who was not able to play in the McDonalds AA game, the Jordan Brand game, etc. because of Covid. They need to move on with their lives. They are gone, they have graduated, and there is no room for them to come back. You cannot kick the freshman who just landed on campus out now IMO.

 

[3397char]

How will that apply to UNC WBB going forward? Will this years senior class get and extra year?

If by "this year" you mean the 2025-26 seniors who just graduated, then no, no reprieve for them.

If you mean "this coming year" the 2026-27 seniors, then yes, they will get an extra year.

As for UNC specifically, this should mean the following rising seniors will gain an additional year if eligibility in 2027-28 because none have used a redshirt year ( based on my limited research):

1. Achol Akot
2. Syd Barker
3. Sophie Burrows
4. Chloe Cardy
5. Reniya Kelly

I suggest we now call these women 4th Years instead of seniors.

They will join the following redshirt Juniors who will also exhaust their eligibility in 2028:

1. Laila Hull
2. Ciera Toomey

Because both of them are also in their 4th year of college.

One asterisk: I do not have access to birth date to check these women against the 19 y.o. rule but I do not recall any of them being older than normal.

 

[Jriv23]

Wow, this is going to affect the 2027 women coming out of high school. Lot of questions coaches will now have to consider. For example. Do I take a 2027 recruit instead of a 5th year senior? Do I have enough money to sign a fifth year senior with experience as oppose to a top 15 2027 recruit? Do we have enough NIL money to compete with the SEC and Big 10? Where and how can we get more NIL money to compete for these elite players? etc.

 

[3397char]

Our 2026-27 roster by year:

1. 4th Achol Akot
2. 4th Syd Barker
3. 4th Sophie Burrows
4. 4th Chloe Cardy
5. 4th Laila Hull
6. 4th Reniya Kelly
7. 4th Ciera Toomey
8. 3rd Blanca Thomas
9. 3rd Jordan Zubich
10. 2nd Noelle Bofia (?*)
11. 2nd Nyla Brooks
12. 2nd Taissa Querioz
13. 2nd Gabby White
14. 1st Kate Harpring

On paper, we have 1 scholarship open for the 2026 class, but it is important to note that grad students transfer a t a much higher rate than undergrads: over 50% move on across D1. During Covis we lost D Kelly, Zelaya and Poole all in one year as grad transfers; while Donarski (already in UNC grad school ) and Ustby stayed.

 

[Jriv23]

I can see CB and staff convincing Sidney to join her staff to open up a scholarship opportunity when Sidney graduates.

 

[3397char]

Wow, this is going to affect the 2027 women coming out of high school. Lot of questions coaches will now have to consider. For example. Do I take a 2027 recruit instead of a 5th year senior? Do I have enough money to sign a fifth year senior with experience as oppose to a top 15 2027 recruit? Do we have enough NIL money to compete with the SEC and Big 10? Where and how can we get more NIL money to compete for these elite players? etc.

These are great points.

Applying some simple microeconomics to this, the price for a freshman, on average should flatten a bit because there is less demand with less spaces available across P4 programs.

4th year players may also flatten: they are now competing against 5th year players

But quality 5th year players should be at a premium as they are the least risk (known quantities) and a short-term commitment to fill glaring holes in your roster. Any time you land a one year player after the season is already over that places very little harm on your roster long-term. For example, UNC filling its last spot on the 2026-27 roster right now would not affect our ability to land 2027 HS recruits either in roster space or self-imposed salary cap.

But because prices for players has continued to rise exponentially, these nuances may be hard to actually detect as the curve still arcs upward.

And top 20 player will still garner crazy money regardless of class.

 

[23UNC]

Based on your logic with Bofia, Taissa would be in her 3rd year since she came in early as well.

 

[3397char]

Based on your logic with Bofia, Taissa would be in her 3rd year since she came in early as well.

Great point, both are question marks