Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes isn’t hiding how he feels about the NCAA’s eligibility mess.
Speaking at the Knoxville Quarterback Club, Barnes pushed for a hard look at how much the NCAA is spending on legal battles tied to the wave of eligibility lawsuits, and he floated a blunt idea for what could be done with that money instead.
“You know what I wish somebody would do right now? I wish they would do an audit of how much money the NCAA is spending on attorney fees.
I’d like them to do that because they’ve dug their heels in. If you think about this right now, I think there are like maybe 500 cases of guys and girls that are trying to play.
What if each one of them sued the NCAA for a million dollars? Think about it.
It’s $500 million. (The NCAA is) going to have to go to court with them.
I’d rather they take that money and give it to Olympic sports, you know? And my deal is, whether it is what it is, (the NCAA) created this problem, which they have in the past, too.”
The broader issue has become a headache around college basketball and beyond. The NCAA has faced heavy criticism in recent months because of lawsuits tied to its eligibility rules, especially after allowing a fifth year of eligibility. The rulings have been inconsistent, leaving coaches and programs trying to keep up as players are ruled eligible, then ineligible, then reinstated again.
For Barnes, the frustration isn’t abstract. Tennessee forward Jalen Washington transferred to the Vols after four previous seasons of college basketball. He received an injunction on August 5 to play a fifth season, then was ruled ineligible three weeks later.
That leaves Tennessee in limbo heading into the start of the season next week on Tuesday, November 3, with the possibility of being without a player the staff expected to have available.
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Vols Suddenly Have A Real Shot At Key 2027 DB Target
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For the Vols, the encouraging part is that Glasco has remained in regular contact with the coaching staff and came away from a recent visit with Tennessee firmly in the conversation. That kind of late momentum matters in a battle like this, especially when the competition includes two heavyweight SEC neighbors, and it leaves Tennessee with a real opening as his decision approaches. [Read more 🡒]