Gophers coach Niko Medved blasts NCAA over Cade Tyson’s eligibility: ‘It’s a mess’
Niko Medved blasts NCAA over Cade Tyson's eligibility
Gophers men's basketball coach Niko Medved sounded off about the NCAA over Cade Tyson's eligibility after Minnesota's exhibition win over Omaha. Tyson, last year's top scorer, is one of hundreds of college athletes seeking a final year of eligibility via the NCAA's "5-for-5" rule.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Niko Medved had some things to say about the NCAA after the Gophers’ men’s basketball team’s exhibition opener Thursday night against Omaha.
The Gophers beat Omaha 72-52, but Cade Tyson had to watch the game from Minnesota’s bench in street clothes. Tyson is one of several college athletes waiting for a ruling on his eligibility via the NCAA’s new "5-for-5" rule, which allows student-athletes to play up to five seasons.
Tyson’s case, among several others, was heard by a three-judge panel last week in the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals. An official decision has not yet been made, but reports out of the hearing indicated it didn’t go well for the athletes seeking a final year.
‘It’s chaos… it’s a mess’
What we know:
Tyson was the Gophers’ leading scorer last season, and adding him to this year’s squad makes them an NCAA Tournament contender. He’s on the roster and attending classes, but not yet eligible.
"Well you probably don’t want to listen, I could talk for 20 minutes about how I feel about this whole thing. The whole situation nationally, it’s chaos. I would say in Cade, I don’t know if a young man could handle the situation any better than he is, he’s just a great guy man. It’s a tough spot to be in, he’s here having no answers, not knowing what’s going to happen. I know it he had a really hard time having to sit and watch this and not be able to play. It’s a mess," Medved said.
‘There are no enforceable rules’
Medved didn’t stop there. The "5-for-5" rule was passed in June, but it started during the 2026-27 academic year. It would make outgoing students in the class of 2022, like Tyson, ineligible.
Medved said initially they didn’t anticipate taking any fifth-year players on the roster due to the eligibility issue, then other programs around the country did, and they were granted eligibility. Medved estimates that out of more than 300 student-athletes seeking eligibility, at least 100 have gotten it.
What we don't know:
For now, Tyson can’t play in a regular season game.
What they're saying:
"They (the NCAA) don’t really care what we think. You might think they do, but they don’t. We knew it wasn’t perfect, but we were in favor of this 5-for-5 rule. Then they just ambushed us and said we’re starting it now, and this class of 2022 is not eligible. They fall under the purview of this rule. They were going to have a problem legally with that class," Medved said. "My problem with it is they don’t have control of it right now. Yeah they have a rule, but they can’t enforce the rule. You have 300-some kids on rosters, and over 100 of them are eligible. This is going to have major ramifications around college basketball. There are no enforceable rules."
What's next:
The Gophers have their final exhibition at Creighton on Friday, Oct. 23. The regular season begins Nov. 2 against North Dakota.