The NCAA’s new eligibility system has reshuffled the picture for Florida’s men’s basketball roster, and for a handful of Gators, the change is a big one.
Last month, the NCAA approved a rule that gives student-athletes five full participation seasons inside a five-year window, replacing the old four-in-five setup. For Florida, that update mostly impacts the 2026-27 outlook, with nearly the entire roster now sorted into new eligibility buckets.
There are a couple of important caveats. Players who already used a redshirt do not gain anything from the new rules, and the NCAA has also done away with waivers for extra years.
Returning players can still choose the old eligibility model instead of the new five-for-five setup if that works better for them, especially in hardship situations. And eligibility alone does not say anything about whether a player will still be at Florida after next season.
One of the most complicated cases belongs to Aberdeen. Even though he is inside his five-year window, he does not benefit from the new rules because the NCAA is not grandfathering in members of the 2022 recruiting class who used up their eligibility last season. Aberdeen did not redshirt in his three seasons at Florida or in his lone season at Kentucky, which leaves him ineligible under the NCAA’s current structure.
Still, Florida is pushing for another path. Aberdeen has filed a waiver for an additional season, and head coach Todd Golden has pointed to the fact that he barely played as a true freshman. Golden and athletic director Scott Stricklin have both said they would back Aberdeen if he needs to pursue legal options after the waiver process.
"Our hope is that there's some common sense that comes into play before that, and they look at a guy that's 22 years old - so, way younger than a lot of these guys that are still playing in college - that, again, is back working for his undergraduate degree within his five-year clock," Golden said in an interview with On3's Joe Tipton. "There's a lot of things that are going his way. So, we'll do what we need to do to make sure he's supported properly."
A different group of Gators - Klavzar, Haugh, Condon and Chinyelu - each land with two more years of eligibility as non-redshirt juniors. They all came back for what was expected to be their final season in Gainesville, but the new rules extend the clock.
Even so, it would be a surprise if all four stayed that long. Haugh, Condon and Chinyelu each passed on NBA Draft chances to return, which makes this season look like their likely final run in orange and blue.
Kovatchev is the exception in that group. Because he received a medical redshirt in 2024 at Sacramento State, he does not pick up an extra year and still has two years left as a rising redshirt junior.
Those five players can also fall back on the old model if a hardship waiver makes more sense for them.
Brown and Petrovic are still waiting on final rulings, according to a program spokesperson. Brown, a fifth-year junior who already redshirted during his time at Ohio, sat out last season entirely while recovering from a previous shoulder injury. Under the old rules, and as a returning player who is grandfathered in, he is expected to receive another year through a medical waiver.
Petrovic, a 22-year-old former professional from Slovenia, is expected to have two years left under the NCAA’s new age-based model, the spokesperson said.
For now, though, neither Brown’s nor Petrovic’s eligibility is final, and both situations could still change.
Brown, Fland and Mikic each have three years of eligibility remaining as non-redshirt juniors. They can also use the previous model with a hardship waiver if that becomes the better option.
Ingram II and Lloyd, despite playing as true freshmen, are set to receive four more years because last season’s participation fell within their five-year windows. They can also go with the old system if that ends up being more favorable, which would leave them with three years of eligibility and the chance to redshirt.
Lay and Butajevas come out best under the new rules. As true freshmen, they will each have five full years of eligibility without needing to redshirt. They, too, can use the previous rules and any of the listed waivers if necessary.
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