Mick Cronin, Bob Chesney question 5-for-5 eligibility rule, ask for clarity

UCLA coaches Mick Cronin and Bob Chesney might be on board with the proposed 5-for-5 eligibility rules in college athletes. However, they want clarity and are practically questioning the logic behind the moves at the moment.

Once there is clarity, coaches like Cronin and Chesney can move forward with their roster constriction. But until then, schools around the country could be left in limbo as eligibility is nothing but a word. 

“I’ve talked to 15 head coaches this week,” Cronin told the California Post. “We are all the same, we just want to know what the rules are so we can do our job.”

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Chesney took it a step further. As he goes into his first year as UCLA’s football coach, he simply wants to know if players can come back under the new rules. Could they be grandfathered in? The 5-for-5 eligibility proposal likely goes against that.

“Guys that went into the draft and didn’t make it — can they reclassify and come back down here?” Chesney asked. “That’s all part of the questions that need to be answered.”

Chesney can’t even fully comprehend and that could go for other coaches. The 5-for-5 eligibility rule extends the shelf life of college athletes.

With no additional rules on transfers, then you add in NIL earnings, players could stick around at a school or still leave just as often. But they’ll be around longer.

The longer players are around, talent could spread, causing more headaches to other teams building their rosters. 5-for-5 eligibility could cause ripple effects, both positive and negative.

“I just think it’s a little complicated if you do it now,” Chesney said. “You know, do you need a little more lead time? How do you go about it? You can’t hold at 105 [players] anymore or even think about that, I guess. There’s too many variables in there for me to fully understand.”

The new model would allow student-athletes up to five years of eligibility beginning the regular academic year after they turn 19 or graduate from high school, whichever happens earlier. It’s a proposal that has been gaining steam in recent weeks.

“The time is now to reform the period of eligibility rules to provide Division I student-athletes and our schools clear and consistent standards that align with current college athletes’ experiences,” said Tim Sands, president at Virginia Tech and chair of the Division I Board of Directors. “The board fully supports student-athletes receiving the unprecedented financial benefits now available to them and emphasized these changes would protect opportunities for high school student-athletes to access the benefits only college sports can provide, while delivering predictable outcomes for student-athletes and our schools.”