Tommy Tuberville says his ideas would fix '80%' of NCAA problems. I'm listening

Blake Toppmeyer, USA TODAYThu, March 12, 2026 at 8:49 AM UTC

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A blind squirrel can find a nut, and even a charlatan can produce a worthy idea, on occasion.

And so it was this week when Sen. Tommy Tuberville said this, during the 439th roundtable (I’m approximating) on how to “Save College Sports”:

“If I had a magic wand today, you could wipe out 80% of the problem by saying, ‘When you start your clock, you’ve got five years to play five (seasons). That’s it. Don’t come back wanting another year after that,’” Tuberville said. "And the second (part) is, you can transfer one time (without penalty)."

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Tuberville went on to propose reinstating penalties for athletes who transfer more than once. He lost me there. Want to restrict athlete moment? Then, collectively bargain with them. Otherwise, so long as coaches can vamoose repeatedly (like Tuberville did) without hindrance, then athletes can, too.

But, the ex-coach turned politician from the state of Alabama stumbled upon a solid concept with five-to-play-five. True, Tuberville spoiled it later with a social media post hollering about the “WILD WEST” — seriously, haven’t we had about enough of “WILD WEST!” hysterics? — and the need for national NIL guardrails. (Partisan guardrails, of course.)

Buddy, you almost had it.

Put a pin in NIL, for the time being, because Congress has had five years to produce federal legislation, and it achieved bupkis.

Stick to a narrow focus, on the bigger issue. That’s the NCAA’s constant struggle, despite its efforts, to enforce its eligibility rules.

Five years to play five seasons? A worthy idea for NCAA

Current rules say athletes get five years to play four seasons. That’s the general idea, anyway. Football coaches are now asking that players get five years to play 4.75 seasons. That’s four seasons, plus nine extra games during a redshirt season.

Ah, but it gets muddier from there, because the NCAA has exceptions to its five-to-play-four rule. Medical redshirts and hardship waivers, while perhaps well-intentioned, complicate matters.

Plus, junior college transfers, like quarterbacks Diego Pavia and Joey Aguilar, contended in lawsuits that their JUCO years shouldn’t count against their NCAA clock.

Then, you’ve got the pro athletes who realize nothing’s so good as being the Big Man on Campus. The college gravy train tastes so delicious, some former pros want to return to college ball, in violation of NCAA rules.

The NCAA is left playing whack-a-mole. If an NCAA eligibility ruling doesn’t go in an athlete’s favor, the athlete dials 1-800-LAWYER!

No matter the suit’s verdict, the next step for the losing party is to appeal the court’s initial decision. Because, hey, lawyers gotta eat, too.

Coaches could erect their own guardrails by not awarding roster spots to athletes who must sue their way onto the team, but coaches and their bosses tend to follow three rules:

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1. Do whatever it takes to win at all costs.

2. Complain about the NCAA’s lack of enforceable rules.

3. Complain about something else, too.

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At the individual level, we might enjoy the prolonged presence of great and likable athletes, like Mississippi quarterback Trinidad Chambliss winning a court verdict (but, wait, here comes the appeal!) unlocking a sixth season of eligibility. Chambliss is an excellent player with a tremendous story, and Ole Miss is better and more interesting with him than without him.

On a whole, though, it’s all very messy, and it’s entirely reasonable to wonder if a cleaner and more consistent method might be possible.

Such as: Five years to play five seasons.

No waivers. No medical redshirts. No freebie seasons for a pandemic or the Spanish flu or tonsillitis or never-want-to-graduate syndrome or brain fog or a sprained prosthesis or because you’ve got a buddy who knows a guy who knows a guy whose grandma got sick with COVID.

No more playing for a seventh team in seven years, like TJ Finley will do for Incarnate Word this season. No more eighth-year seniors like Miami’s Mohamed Toure. No more debating how many games is the proper number for a redshirt season. No more redshirt seasons, period.

Five years. Five seasons. That’s it. Thanks for the memories, cash your NIL and rev-share paychecks, and good luck in the real world.

That’s the best five-for-five idea since Arby’s sold five roast beefs for an Abe Lincoln.

Would Congress go for it? I wonder if such a concept might generate bipartisan support, if confined within a narrow piece of federal legislation.

Sports law attorney and legal analyst Michael McCann recently raised the possibility of some skinny legislation that would help the NCAA enforce its eligibility rules.

“A limited antitrust exemption would be more politically palatable than a far‑reaching one and likely less vulnerable to legal challenge,” McCann wrote for Sportico.

“An exemption addressing eligibility litigation, for example, would mean the NCAA and its members would no longer face lawsuits brought by athletes seeking to remain in college sports beyond the basic five-year eligibility model.”

Yes, exactly. Shoot for that.

Achieve something narrow but tangible and useful after five years of NIL tire-spinning in D.C., complete with the predictable partisan battle lines and the president pretending he can ignore a 9-0 Supreme Court ruling with a stroke of the pen.

On this particular issue, hear out Tuberville.

The charlatan found a nut.

Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network's senior national college football columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on X @btoppmeyer.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tommy Tuberville offers idea to 'wipe out 80%' of NCAA problems

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