The 2026-27 college basketball season is less than a week away, but here’s the wild part: more than 100 players across high- and mid-major programs are suing to get a fifth year of eligibility. This isn’t just some minor detail either, some of these guys rank among the 30, 40, or 50 best players in the entire sport, and nobody knows who will even be allowed to play or for how long. The NCAA is actually resisting a blanket waiver for these 2026 graduates, even though everyone else from 2027 onward qualifies. It’s a total mess!
Eligibility Chaos Is Rocking the Sport
Imagine your team’s star player getting yanked a month into the season because of a lawsuit. That’s a real possibility here. We’re talking about significant recalibrations for teams, and Norlander says over 40% of the teams he covers in his rankings are grappling with player-initiated lawsuits right now. Honestly, outside of the 2020-21 COVID season that saw hundreds of games cancelled, there has never been a college basketball season staring down this much uncertainty and consternation. You just know everyone, including us fans, is desperate for the games to finally tip off. We’re talking courtroom crises instead of buzzer-beaters, and it’s making everyone antsy.
A New Era, For Better or Worse
Beyond the legal drama, college basketball is in a seriously wild new era. The NIL arms race is no joke, with roster values soaring from $5 million to over $25 million in some cases. Plus, the national tournament has expanded to 76 teams. Yeah, you heard that right: 76 teams! That means the regular-season stakes are lower, and more schools have a chance to “backdoor” their way into March Madness. It’s a diluted landscape, for sure. Still, Norlander’s mega-ranking of the 101 best teams is out, giving us some sense of the pecking order heading into the season. We’re just days away from the actual debut game: Notre Dame vs. Villanova in Rome!
What Norlander’s Preseason Rankings Tell Us
So, with all this craziness, what’s Norlander’s take on the actual teams? He breaks it down into tiers. Your national title hopefuls are the top 15 schools. Want to make the Final Four? You’re probably in the top 22 or so. Sweet 16 candidates sit around the top 35, and anyone in the top 65 is looking at an at-large or bubble spot for the big dance. Of course, with all the transfer movement, mega-millions spent on rosters, and the inevitable injuries, you know some teams outside the top 65 will surprise us, and plenty inside the top 50 will totally disappoint. Get ready, because this season is going to be a rollercoaster, and it all kicks off in less than a week!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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