The NCAA has been going through major changes since the start of the 2020s, and Duke head coach Jon Scheyer believes some haven’t been for the best. College athletics is vastly different now than it was in the 2010s, with eligibility rules becoming a major topic and subject of several legal disputes.
Through the COVID-19 pandemic and the players’ legal poking and probing of regulations, collegiate athletes have gained additional eligibility. The NCAA brought in a new age-based eligibility model in June. It now allows athletes to have five seasons of eligibility over a five-year window starting with full-time enrollment or the academic year after their 19th birthday, whichever comes first. The new rules also have provisions for current athletes and those entering college in 2026-27.
This has led to a plethora of legal battles between players whom the policy doesn’t benefit and the NCAA. Speaking on Tuesday on ‘The Field of 68,’ coach Jon Scheyer shared his opinion that these kinds of legal battles weren’t positive for the state of college athletics:
“It’s not good for the game when you have to sue to become eligible. That’s not a good thing, I think we all would agree with that. I think we also should all agree that we don’t blame the players for this.”
College basketball in particular will face problems with the new rules if schools wish to recruit professional players overseas. The practice has become fairly common and has been received with mixed opinions. Now the age rule prevents players older than 24 from coming to the NCAA.
Jon Scheyer believes losing has made Duke stronger for it
Over the last two seasons, the Duke Blue Devils have been the dominant force in the ACC, winning the regular season and tournament titles in 2024-25 and 2025-26. However, they haven’t managed to bring this level of success to the NCAA Tournament.
In the last two years, the Blue Devils have made the Final Four and Elite Eight, respectively. Speaking this Wednesday at an ACC preseason media event, Scheyer said that these defeats have allowed Duke to learn from them:
“Sometimes winning can disguise some of the changes that are necessary,” Scheyersaid Wednesday. “So I guess the silver lining, if there’s any, it’s that it allows you to think critically about the improvements and changes that need to be made first and foremost with the roster and second, anything with the team connection-wise, stylistically, how you’re going to play and how to win another possession.”
Only time will tell if they have.
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