The transfer portal is already filled with big names—Zeke Mayo from Kentucky, Ian Schieffelin from Clemson, and Dawson Garcia from Minnesota. But now, one more name has entered the fray, and it’s one that carries some serious weight in the world of basketball. The surname Reese is about to make the headlines again, as it joins the portal. Could this be the next big shift in college hoops? 

But this isn’t just about one player—it’s about a seismic shift in the legal landscape of college sports that could change everything we thought we knew about eligibility. And it looks like Angel Reese’s brother, Maryland’s Julian Reese, is ready to take full advantage of this changing game. 

Julian Reese, Dawson Garcia Bet on One More Season as NCAA Rules May Face Major Shakeup

After a successful season and teasing NBA draft possibility at the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, Reese is reportedly not done with college yet. According to Jeff Goodman, “Maryland’s Julian Reese has gone in the transfer portal, source told @TheFieldOf68. Reese played four full seasons at Maryland, 134 career games. Not currently eligible.”

On paper, his 2024-25 season was solid: 13.3 points, 9.0 rebounds, and a 55.5% shooting average—a classic big man stat line. But in NCAA terms, Juju’s eligibility clock has expired. Except now, that road may have a new extension.

Dawson Garcia—another player who’s technically out of eligibility—is also in the portal. As Tony Liebert pointed out, Garcia could be granted an extra year if the NCAA accounts for his 2021–22 season cut short due to a family illness. He’s betting on what many are calling the “Pavia Effect.”

Why? Because the NCAA’s eligibility rules are under siege. In Pavia v. NCAA, Judge William L. Campbell ruled that JUCO years shouldn’t count against NCAA eligibility, paving the way—literally and legally—for players like Diego Pavia to play another season. The ripple effect was immediate. The NCAA issued a blanket waiver for similarly situated JUCO athletes, but even that hasn’t stemmed the legal tide.

In light of these developments, CBS Sports reported recently, “The moves come with the looming House vs. NCAA antitrust settlement decision looming as soon as this month that could change NCAA eligibility rules, and in theory may offer a new framework on the previous four-year eligibility clock that has long been in place.” 

Although Reese didn’t play for any JUCO programmes, Julian’s portal entry is strategic. If the House settlement or Pavia decision reshapes the rules, players who exhausted eligibility could become eligible again. More than 2,000 athletes have already entered the portal this season, and a rising number are like Reese—finished by current standards, but waiting for a legal pick-and-roll to reset the shot clock.

So, will Julian Reese suit up again? Right now, It’s a long shot—but the courts may hold the key.

The Connection Between Eligibility and the House Settlement

According to a post on X by CBS insider Jon Rothstein recently, “NCAA members will not discuss whether or not players will receive five years of eligibility moving forward via legislation until after a final decision on the House Settlement has been made, per an NCAA official.”

This means the NCAA won’t even entertain broader eligibility reforms—like those raised in the Pavia case—until the House settlement shakes out. But here’s where it gets interesting: Pavia v. NCAA is already rocking the foundation of the old eligibility clock. After bouncing from JUCO to Division I, Diego Pavia challenged the NCAA’s four-season rule, claiming it unfairly cuts short his career and NIL potential. A federal judge agreed—granting a preliminary injunction that allows him to keep playing.

The NCAA appealed, but for now, the ruling stands. No new hearings have been scheduled, with the judges still deliberating. And here’s the kicker: if the court sees fit, the eventual outcome of the House antitrust settlement could be chained to Pavia’s challenge—turning one athlete’s legal gamble into a game-changer for thousands.

 The preliminary injunction means the court temporarily stopped the NCAA from enforcing its eligibility rules against Diego Pavia. So, even though he was technically out of eligibility, the court allowed him to keep playing while the case is still being decided.

Think of it like a timeout in a game while the refs review a controversial play—Pavia gets to stay on the court, but the final ruling is still to come.

Now, the House Settlement could end up being the play that changes the entire rulebook. Why? Because House isn’t just about NIL money anymore. It’s about rewriting how college sports work: who gets paid, how much, and who holds the power, who pays the money—the NCAA, the schools, or even the states.

The NCAA is under pressure. It was required to pay nearly $2.8 billion in retroactive NIL damages.. This settlement was not a direct payment to players but rather a fund to be used for various purposes related to player compensation, including athlete support, NIL compensation, and potentially other benefits. 

Recently, the NCAA D-I Board of Directors on Monday proposed deleting 153 longstanding rules from its handbook, as a first step towards the conclusion of the house settlement, although most of them were related to player compensation and restructuring of the NIL landscape.

Every major ruling, including House, is now chained to related cases like Pavia. In fact, the judges in Pavia haven’t even scheduled a full hearing yet—they’re still deliberating and could shape their decision around what comes out of the House case.

So, while the NCAA waits to see how this massive legal storm plays out, athletes aren’t sitting still. Many are entering the transfer portal even if they’ve exhausted their eligibility. Why? Because Pavia’s injunction opened a door. If courts continue ruling that eligibility limits violate antitrust laws, these athletes could be next in line for a second shot.

In short: House is the headline, Pavia is the subplot, and college athletes are betting that the ending might be in their favor.