Could 7'9" Olivier Rioux get a championship ring despite not playing for Florida? Exploring NCAA redshirt rules and similar cases

Olivier Rioux will be the tallest player to ever step on a college basketball court the moment he plays his first game. He joined the Florida Gators before this season as a Top 300 high school recruit. However, he chose to redshirt this season, and as a result, he did not play a single game during the Gators' championship run.

NCAA rules state that he will not receive a championship ring. He can, however, have a piece of the championship nets.

Who is Olivier Rioux?

Olivier Rioux is a freshman college basketball player for the Florida Gators. He joined the team in the 2024 recruiting class as the tallest recruit in the history of college basketball. However, he did not play this season because he chose to redshirt his freshman season.

Why didn't Olivier Rioux play in Florida's NCAA championship run?

Olivier Rioux did not play in the Florida Gators' NCAA championship run because he took a redshirt year.

A redshirt season is when a player does not play any games in a year to give himself an extra year of eligibility later on. Players have four years of eligibility, so by redshirting his freshman season, Rioux will be able to play when he is in his fifth year of college.

Will Olivier Rioux will get a championship ring?

Rioux was not on the court for the Florida Gators when they won the March Madness championship game against the Houston Cougars. As a result, he will not receive a championship ring.

According to NCAA rules, players are only eligible to receive a ring or award for winning a championship if they were eligible to play:

"Awards for winning an individual or team conference or national championship may be presented each year, limited in value and number as specified in Figure 16-2. Awards for winning a conference or national championship in a team sport may be provided only to student-athletes who were eligible to participate in the championship event."

Since Rioux was redshirting, he was not eligible to play in the championship game and will not receive a ring.

How do redshirt rules affect Rioux's ability to get a championship ring?

When a player is redshirting, they are not eligible to play in the team's games. They can participate in practice and go to games with the team, but they cannot play in the game. Since Rioux was ineligible to participate in the championship game, NCAA rules do not allow him to receive a championship game.

Conversely, players who are eligible to play but did not get playing time are still eligible to receive a ring.