How many years can you play College Basketball?

College basketball has become popular in America due to the male and female players who get drafted into the NBA and WNBA every year. College helps the upcoming male and female players develop their skills before they are all geared up for the professional stage.

College basketball in America is governed under the NCAA and falls into Divisions I, II, and III. Each division has separate male and female college basketball teams divided into several conferences. The teams under these divisions and conferences compete with each other to reach the NCAA Tournament and eventually become the Champion. Popular teams like UConn Huskies, LSU Tigers, UCLA Bruins, and Stanford Cardinal have managed to attract loyal fan bases because of their talented rosters in college basketball.

The NCAA also presents their male and female college basketball players with various awards and honors to encourage them to continue to give their best performances.

Time Eligibility to play College Basketball

The NCAA has provided age limitations for their male and female college basketball players, especially in Division I and Division II. It is compulsory for male and female college athletes in these two divisions to enroll themselves in a college within 12 months of graduating from high school. Furthermore, the NCAA has revealed Division I and Division II male and female college basketball players can play for four full years within five consecutive years.

These include freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior years. The one extra year is provided in case of emergencies like athletes suffering from injuries. In such cases, they can redshirt one year and still complete four years of playing college basketball. However, they can also provide a sixth year of eligibility for male and female college basketball players if their colleges provide valid reasons for them losing two seasons. Notably, they provided a sixth year to Alex Murphy of the Northeastern Huskies and Dylan Ennis of the Oregon Ducks in 2017.

However, for Division III male and female college basketball players, the rule is different. They are provided with 10 semesters to compete in their games. However, they have the freedom to drop out at any time and return in the future to complete these 10 semesters.

Other criteria for College Basketball playing eligibility

The NCAA has also presented other criteria for male and female college basketball players besides year eligibility. Division I male and female college basketball players must pass their high school with a GPA of at least 2.3 or greater. They should also possess a final amateurism certification from their high school. Division II male and female college basketball players should pass their high school with at least a GPA of 2.2 and have a final amateurism certification.

However, they do not have any such criteria for Division III male and female college basketball players. They allow their colleges to decide the other criteria.