Niko Medved sounds off on NCAA's eligibility mess involving Cade Tyson
Niko Medved was very honest about the NCAA's growing eligibility battles in court.
Minnesota Gophers head coach Niko Medved voiced his thoughts on the NCAA's eligibility issues involving star player Cade Tyson during a recent exhibition game against Omaha. Tyson, Minnesota's leading scorer from the 2022-23 season, now faces an uncertain future as he awaits his eligibility status for the 2026-27 season.
The 2022 high school class, which Tyson is a part of, was not included in the NCAA's new five-for-five eligibility model. As a result, many top players from that class are pursuing a fifth year of eligibility through the court system. Tyson's case had a critical court hearing on Tuesday, but legal experts suggest it didn't go well for him.
Despite his impressive performance last season, averaging 19.6 points per game in the Big Ten, Tyson remains ineligible for the 2026-27 season. He attended Thursday night's exhibition game to support the Gophers from the bench in street clothes. Medved emphasized the difficulty Tyson is facing, stating, "It's a tough spot to be in. He's here having no answers, not knowing what's going to happen. I think that's really, really difficult for him."
The situation is further complicated by varying state-level eligibility rules. College basketball coaches were given a few months to decide whether they wanted to attempt adding a player from the 2022 class, but many are now unsure if their players will be eligible just weeks before the regular season starts. Medved criticized the five-for-five rule, saying, "They just kind of ambushed us and just put it on us. ‘Hey, we're starting it now, and by the way, this Class of 2022 is not eligible.’”
The Gophers are currently dealing with the ramifications of the NCAA's ruling, which affects around 300 student-athletes across the country, with over 100 eligible under the new rule. Medved believes that allowing all Class of 2022 athletes to have a fifth year would be the fairest outcome, but acknowledges that fairness and common sense are not priorities for the NCAA.
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