Gophers’ Top Basketball Player Suing for More Eligibility
The Minnesota Gophers basketball team is expecting to be one of the top risers in the Big Ten next season, and a team that quietly has its sights set on the 2027 NCAA Tournament.
Reminder: The MN Gophers men’s basketball team hasn’t made the dance since 2017 so doing so would pretty much be considered historic, at this point. Of course, given Niko Medved‘s resume, whether it’s next spring or the one after, it’s just a matter of time before the Golden Gophers are dancing again.
But on Wednesday night a group of 12 collegiate athletes sued the NCAA, the latest in a never-ending shower of lawsuits that seemingly hit the once untouchable governing sports body.
Cade Tyson suing NCAA for fifth year of eligibility
And this one could directly impact the Golden Gophers men’s basketball program, depending on how things play out, because listed as one of the dozen plaintiffs is Minnesota’s best player last season, Cade Tyson, who averaged 19.6 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 32 games.
On the heels of that Ohio decision… (though filed last night) we have another lawsuit filed by members of the high school class of 2022 who finished four seasons in four years of college this past spring.
— Sam C. Ehrlich (@samcehrlich) July 9, 2026
This one is a federal antitrust lawsuit seeking class action status. pic.twitter.com/N7aNT2WwL8
cade's cookin
— Minnesota Men's Basketball (@GopherMBB) December 14, 2025
12 pts | 4-7 FG | 3-5 3P
đź“ş: @BigTenNetwork pic.twitter.com/Pfteqf4H1b
Tyson is part of a unique 2022 class. Athletes who graduated high school that season did not get a fifth year of COVID eligibility, like the classes before it.
Then recently, the NCAA adopted a new five-year eligibility rule, but it did not grandfather in the 2022 high school class, making it the only recent class not allowed five years of college eligibility.
Tyson and plaintiffs have good chance to win
What makes this lawsuit even more intriguing is that it was filed immediately after a judge granted an injunction for 2022 athletes in Ohio for the same exact reason.
Essentially, it will be incredibly difficult for the NCAA to argue against the idea that this specific class wasn’t treated unfairly.
One Ohio state court ruling doesn't create binding precedent anywhere else in the country, but the NCAA defending the Class of 2022 athletes getting stuck between the COVID year waiver and the new five year rule was always going to be incredibly awkward to defend. And here's why. https://t.co/GcnPmgyvHS
— Sam C. Ehrlich (@samcehrlich) July 9, 2026
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If Sam Ehrlich is correct (he probably is), then Tyson — along with the 11 other plaintiffs in this lawsuit — will eventually be granted their 5th year of eligibility. That doesn’t guarantee that the North Carolina native will return to Minnesota.
What does this mean for the Minnesota Gophers?
In fact, Gopher basketball reporter Tony Liebert (BMTN) doesn’t see a path back to Dinkytown for Tyson, at this moment.
Minnesota doesn’t have a roster spot open, and Tyson entered the transfer portal shortly after the season ended. Liebert mentions LSU as a possible landing spot, if Cade is granted his fifth year of eligibility.
I have to imagine this is why Cade Tyson is not currently on a summer league roster. MJ Collins was just granted a preliminary injunction for a 5th year, and his situation is very similar to Tyson's.
— Tony Liebert (@TonyLiebert) July 10, 2026
I am very curious to see how this plays out.
Gophers currently don't have an… https://t.co/nplhSYXDhL
Of course, there’s still a lot up in the air and collegiate men’s basketball rosters are about as fluid as the water in flowing down the Mississippi River after a heavy rainfall in the northern Midwest.
Being this lawsuit was filed within the last 36-48 hours, there’s a lot we do not know still.
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