Between sixth-year seniors, various waivers and redshirts, college eligibility had become convoluted and tricky to track in recent years.
The NCAA Division I Cabinet on June 23 unanimously approved a new five-year, age-based eligibility model, also known as the “five-for-five rule,” that will go into effect starting with the 2026-27 academic year and streamline the entire process.
The new rule provides student-athletes across all sports with five years of eligibility over five seasons.
Each player’s eligibility clock begins upon initial full-time college enrollment or at the beginning of the academic year following the athlete’s 19th birthday, whichever occurs first.
There are limited exceptions for religious missions, active military service or parental leave. The new eligibility rules are designed to eliminate the need for waivers and redshirts, and simplify the process to a five-year, age-based model.
Players who exhausted their eligibility and concluded their college careers during the 2025-26 year will not be granted an additional season of eligibility.
What it means for Iowa State basketball
For incoming transfers Taj Manning, Leon Bond III and Ryan Prather Jr., this will still be their final college basketball seasons. These three players began their college basketball journeys as true freshmen during the 2022-23 season, which will mean that the 2026-27 campaign will be their fifth and final year of college basketball. They do not gain an additional year of eligibility.
However, Blake Buchanan, who will be a true senior this year, now has an additional season of eligibility. He could potentially return in 2027-28 as a fifth-year senior.
The rest of the Cyclones’ roster also gains an additional year of eligibility. For example, Killyan Toure, Xzavion Mitchell and Jamarion Batemon can potentially play their final season at Iowa State in 2029-30.
Dominykas Pleta, who is a 21-year-old forward and previously played professional basketball in Germany, also will have four years left.
According to the new rules, currently enrolled student-athletes with eligibility remaining after the 2025-26 season may be grandfathered by the previous eligibility rules or go by the new age-based rule, whichever is most beneficial to the student-athlete. In this case, even as the NCAA transitions to new rules, Pleta’s eligibility will not be impacted.
For players who initially enroll as incoming freshmen for the 2026-27 school year, schools may choose to enact the previous eligibility rules or the new age-based rule, whichever is most beneficial to the student-athlete. In this case, expect most players and teams to fall under the new five-for-five rule.
Starting with the fall of 2027, all players who enroll as true freshmen will fall under the five-for-five eligibility rules going forward.
Below is a roster outlook for the next four seasons, with a look at eligibility and which players could potentially return.
Iowa State roster outlook for 2026-27 season
There is technically one open roster spot due to Jackson Kiss’ decommitting and flipping to UNLV in late May.
Iowa State roster outlook for 2027-28 season
Barring any outgoing transfers and NBA Draft declarations, here is a look at the Cyclones’ potential returners for the 2027-28 season.
With Bond, Prather and Manning exhausting their eligibility, and verbally committed Donovan Davis and Jack Kohnen arriving at Ames, the Cyclones would have two roster spots to address.
Iowa State roster outlook for 2028-29 season
Barring any outgoing transfers and NBA Draft declarations, Buchanan would be the only departure from the previous season after exhausting his eligibility.
Iowa State roster outlook for 2029-30 season
Barring any outgoing transfers and NBA Draft declarations, Johnson would be the only departure from the previous season after exhausting his eligibility.
The 2029-30 campaign would be the final year of eligibility for the trio of Batemon, Toure and Pleta, as well as promising incoming transfer Singleton — should they all choose to stay at Iowa State.
Rise, a walk-on, would also run out of eligibility. The same goes for Mitchell, who despite medically redshirting as a true freshman in 2025-26, would enter his fifth and final year of college basketball.
Eugene Rapay covers Iowa State athletics for the Des Moines Register. Contact Eugene at erapay@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @erapay5.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: How new NCAA eligibility rules impact Iowa State basketball players
Reporting by Eugene Rapay, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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By Eugene Rapay, Des Moines Register | USA TODAY Network
