What It Means: Former Vanderbilt Basketball Big Man Files For Extra Year Of Collegiate Eligibility – si.com

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Former Vanderbilt center Jalen Washington is working to secure a fifth season of eligibility through a lawsuit against the NCAA, his lawyers told Pete Nakos.
Washington is seeking a temporary restraining order under the premise that he should receive a fifth season of eligibility based on the NCAA's new age-based eligibility model, which would give him the year back if he came to college a year later.
The indication is that a reunion between Washington and Vanderbilt will not be the case, as it currently stands. Washington never publicly entered the transfer portal, although he could've done it privatley.
"Five years to graduate, five years to practice, five years to play. A common-sense approach to NCAA athlete eligibility—but it took a class action lawsuit and a Presidential Executive Order for the NCAA to finally bring the proposal to its Division I Cabinet," The lawsuit says, "[T]he legislation is considered an urgent matter with potential for implementation as soon as this coming academic year (fall 2026).”² The NCAA announced the impending change in April 2026, with final approval on June 23, 2026. While the rule change will cure many of the NCAA’s statutory violations on a go-forward basis, it dramatically exacerbates the NCAA’s mistreatment of Plaintiffs and every other athlete from the high school graduating class of 2022 (“Class of 2022”).
Washington signed a deal with the Chicago Bulls that allows him to play in the NBA Summer League, but still has his case impending. The indication is that he will still play in the Summer League.
After three seasons at North Carolina, Washington joined Vanderbilt hoping for an expanded role and averaged 5.5 points as well as 3.7 rebounds per game while shooting 58.8% from the field as well as 29.4% from 3-point range.
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Joey Dwyer is the lead writer on Vanderbilt Commodores On SI. He found his first love in college sports at nearby Lipscomb University and decided to make a career of telling its best stories. He got his start doing a Notre Dame basketball podcast from his basement as a 14-year-old during COVID and has since aimed to make that 14-year-old proud. Dwyer has covered Vanderbilt sports for three years and previously worked for 247 Sports and Rivals. He contributes to Seth Davis' Hoops HQ, Basket Under Review and Mainstreet Nashville.
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