Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has thrown another wrinkle into the MJ Collins eligibility fight, and this one could put Cincinnati back in business.
On Tuesday, DeWine issued an executive order saying that student-athletes from the Class of 2022 at Ohio colleges and universities are eligible to compete in the 2026-27 academic year, so long as they have not played professionally. The order directs schools in Ohio not to enforce any rule or limitation that would block those athletes from fully participating in intercollegiate sports.
The timing matters. Just last week, the Ohio Court of Appeals denied the players’ appeal against the NCAA in their push to regain eligibility. Now DeWine is stepping in and, in effect, moving over the NCAA’s head.
The order lays out the state’s position plainly, arguing that athletes enrolled in Ohio schools “deserve to be treated fairly and equitably, and no less favorably than student-athletes in any other state,” and noting that NCAA rules have “uniquely and unfairly impact[ed] student-athletes who started college in 2022.” It also points to the federal Protect College Sports Act, which would make the Class of 2022 eligible for the 2026-27 season, though that bill has only passed the U.S. Senate and is not yet law.
For Cincinnati, the practical effect could be huge. Collins has been bouncing between eligible and ineligible all summer and fall. He took part in the August Bahamas exhibitions, then was held out of the CareSource Invitational last week.
If this ruling sticks, Collins would be a major addition for the Bearcats. The 6-foot-4, 195-pound wing started all 36 games last season for the Aggies, logging 30.7 minutes per game. He led the team with 17.5 points per game, ranked fourth in the Mountain West in scoring, and added 2.5 rebounds and 1.6 assists while shooting 48.7% from the field and 36.1% from 3-point range.
That said, the order’s enforceability is not a given. Executive orders can be challenged, and this one lands on the same day as oral arguments in the NCAA’s federal eligibility case in the 10th Circuit.
Cincinnati has another exhibition Saturday at 5 p.m. ET against Illinois.
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