Tom Izzo Sounds Off on NCAA's Midseason Eligibility Rulings: "What Are We Even Doing Anymore?"
In East Lansing, Tom Izzo isn’t mincing words. The Hall of Fame coach has seen a lot in his three decades at the helm of Michigan State basketball, but the latest NCAA ruling has him shaking his head - and asking some tough questions about where college sports are headed.
This all came to a head after Baylor added former NBA Draft pick James Nnaji midseason - and the NCAA cleared him to play immediately. That move, which came down just before Christmas, left Izzo stunned.
“I thought I’d seen the worst,” he said after practice on Saturday. “Then Christmas came. It just topped it.”
Izzo’s frustration isn’t just about one player or one program. It’s about what he sees as a growing trend - the erosion of the structure that once defined college athletics.
And he’s not alone. Across the country, coaches are trying to make sense of a system that now allows former professionals to step into college programs midseason, with full eligibility.
Nnaji, who was drafted 31st overall by the Detroit Pistons in 2023, never played in the NBA or G League. But he did suit up for the Knicks in Summer League and spent last season playing professionally overseas. Now, he’s joining Baylor with four full years of eligibility.
That’s the part that doesn’t sit right with Izzo.
“Now we’re taking guys that were drafted in the NBA and everything?” he said.
“I said it a month and a half ago - c’mon Magic, c’mon Gary [Harris], let’s go. Why not?
If that’s where we’re headed, shame on the NCAA.”
Izzo’s frustration isn’t just about fairness to programs - it’s about fairness to players. He used a pointed hypothetical to make his case. In a meeting with sophomore forward Coen Carr, Izzo posed a scenario: What if he brought back Miles Bridges - a former Spartan star and current NBA player - to take Carr’s spot?
“I asked Coen, ‘Would you be OK if I went and got Miles and brought him back and I sat you?’ You laugh, but that’s what we’re doing,” Izzo said.
“Somebody’s sitting. Somebody’s not playing.
I just don’t think that’s fair for the players.”
This isn’t a new fight for Izzo. He’s been vocal about the NCAA’s shifting eligibility rules for years - from the rise of the transfer portal to immediate eligibility waivers to NIL. But this latest decision feels like a tipping point.
Back in October, he already voiced his disapproval over the NCAA allowing former G League guard London Johnson to join Louisville, despite having played three years as a pro. Now, with Nnaji’s midseason clearance, Izzo sees the system moving further away from what college sports are supposed to be.
And he’s not just venting. He’s re-evaluating.
“Write this one down: It’s gonna get me,” he said. “I’m just not gonna let it bother me. But it’s gonna get me sooner or later.”
That doesn’t mean Izzo is unwilling to adapt - he’s done plenty of that over the years. But he’s drawing a line when it comes to sacrificing what he believes is the core of college athletics.
“I’m not going recruiting Miles,” he said. “I love Miles.
I’d love to have him play. But what is wrong with that statement?
‘Go and replace Coen.’”
At the heart of Izzo’s frustration is the sense that the NCAA no longer has a firm grip on the rules - or the direction - of college sports. He pointed to the pro leagues, which have clear structures: contracts, free agency periods, trade deadlines. In contrast, college sports are becoming more professionalized without any of the guardrails.
And that, for Izzo, is the real issue.
“The educational component is gone,” he said. “There is no education. The NCAA ruined that.”
Izzo says he got a text Friday from a “very famous, great coach” who told him, “I believe in everything you’re saying. Just don’t let it ruin your year. Why fight city hall?”
He’s not looking to wage war with the NCAA. But he’s also not willing to pretend everything is fine.
“I’m not gonna fight city hall,” Izzo said. “But I’m not gonna stick up for it, either. I’m not gonna tell you that this NCAA president is doing anything but running from leadership.”
For a coach who’s spent 20 years serving on NCAA committees, that’s a stinging indictment.
“What we’ve done in the NCAA has been an absolute travesty to me,” he continued. “We’re just worried about getting sued, and we’re not gonna fight anybody. And I think leadership means you fight and you make decisions that are sometimes unpopular.”
Izzo said he’d love to poll the 361 Division I coaches and see how many actually support the current state of eligibility rules. His guess? Maybe 5-10%.
He’s also worried about the fans - the people who’ve supported college basketball for generations - growing tired of the constant changes and the creeping sense that college sports are just becoming the minor leagues without the structure.
“If that’s the way it is, and if I have to make those adjustments, then let’s make them,” Izzo said. “Let’s go pro if that’s the way it is.
But let’s not be half you-know-what. Because there’s no such thing as being half that.”
Izzo isn’t just speaking for himself. Whether the NCAA listens is another story. But one thing’s clear: the game is changing - and not everyone is on board with where it’s headed.