NCAA Senior VP releases statement on former NBA player Amari Bailey's planned college return

After news broke of former NBA player Amari Bailey’s plans for a college return, the NCAA released a statement. Senior VP of external affairs Tim Buckley addressed the situation, as well as the association’s eligibility rules.

On3’s Joe Tipton confirmed Bailey is planning to try and return to college basketball three years after the Charlotte Hornets selected him in the second round of the 2023 NBA Draft out of UCLA. He appeared in 10 games with the franchise before spending time in the NBA G-League.

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In his statement Friday, Buckley doubled down on the NCAA’s stance regarding eligibility for athletes who played in an NBA game or signed an NBA contract. He also further called for Congress to step in and help protect the NCAA from further litigation.

“The NCAA has not and will not grant eligibility to any players who have signed an NBA contract,” Buckley wrote on X. “Congress can strengthen NCAA rules so professional athletes cannot sue their way back to competing against college students.”

Bailey played the 2022-23 season at UCLA. He averaged 11.2 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game while shooting 49.5% from the field and 38.9% from three-point territory. He then declared for the NBA Draft and became a second-round pick by the Hornets, appearing in 10 games as a rookie. During that time, he averaged 2.3 points across 6.5 minutes per game.

Speaking with ESPN’s Dan Murphy, Bailey said he’s still within his five-year eligibility window. That’s part of the reason he’s seeking one more season at the college level. He will be repped by Momentous Sports Partners.

“Right now I’d be a senior in college,” Bailey told ESPN. “I’m not trying to be 27 years old playing college athletics. No shade to the guys that do; that’s their journey. But I went to go play professionally and learned a lot, went through a lot. So like, why not me?”

News of Bailey’s plans come after Charles Bediako received immediate eligibility via a court order paving the way for him to return to Alabama. He went undrafted in 2023 before signing a two-way contract with the San Antonio Spurs. Bediako never played in an NBA game, but spent time in the G-League. A hearing is scheduled for next week after his temporary restraining order was extended.

In light of the Bediako decision, the NCAA released a similar statement to the one Buckley released Friday. The association again called for Congress to step in while further pointing to its rules around players who signed NBA contracts.

“These attempts to sidestep NCAA rules and recruit individuals who have finished their time in college or signed NBA contracts are taking away opportunities from high school students,” the statement read. “A judge ordering the NCAA let a former NBA player take the court Saturday against actual college student-athletes is exactly why Congress must step in and empower college sports to enforce our eligibility rules.”

Additionally, former NBA Draft pick James Nnaji signed with Baylor on Christmas Eve. Despite being drafted, though, Nnaji never signed an NBA contract, nor did he play in an NBA or NBA G-League game. The NCAA granted him immediate eligibility to play for Baylor.