The premise of student-athletes under the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) banner has always been five years to play four, in which, thanks to redshirt seasons, athletes had five years of eligibility in order to compete across four seasons. Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, during which the NCAA granted a blanket year of eligibility to those student-athletes whose seasons were affected.
That made several athletes across multiple sports eligible for six college seasons. Every so often, someone would take two redshirt seasons, and with the extra pandemic extension, they were eligible for seven seasons. But there may be a first this upcoming NCAA basketball season, as there is a player who is channeling his inner LeBron James during his infamous press conference after joining the Miami Heat:
