If someone had told me years ago that part of the reporting I’d do on the HoriZone Roundtable was going to involve information requests and sifting through legal documents, I would have told them that they were crazy. And yet, somehow, all of that has crept through.
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Five-for-Five Is Here (But Not For Everyone)
The NCAA has been telegraphing that it would adopt a five-for-five eligibility model for months now. Basically, student-athletes would have five years to complete their eligibility, which could allow them to play up to five years in college. To account for prep schools, the NCAA would start the eligibility clock when players started college or at 19, whichever came first, with exceptions for military service, missions and pregnancies.
As long expected, the NCAA Division I Cabinet unanimously approved this age-based eligibility model and publicized guidance for student-athletes moving forward. For those slated to complete their four years of eligibility in 2027, they would be afforded another year, and starting with the Class of 2027, the five-for-five model would be in effect.
The NCAA also did not extend this fifth year to any student-athlete from the Class of 2022 that already played four years. So, as expected, out came the lawyers, with the opening salvo being dropped in the Common Pleas Court of Hamilton County in Ohio.
In this particular filing, you’ll seem some familiar names among Horizon League circles: Ice Emery, Ziare Wells and Cris Carroll. All three initially entered their names into the transfer portal before ultimately being denied, and this was the next natural step. A judge already denied the request for a temporary restraining order here, but the request for an injunction is still ongoing.
Also expected to be a part of the legal wranglings, though not this one, is Brody Robinson, whose initial plea to get an extra year was denied back in April.
In reality, there’s no indication if this will affect any Horizon League rosters directly, as teams are already well into their summer workouts. There’s a chance that if any of the estimated 55 players get that extra year at least one of them will fill an HL roster spot, albeit a slim one.
Meet the New Boss, Wright State
In April, Wright State announced that Joylynn Brown was stepping down from her role as athletic director, a move that was met with surprise and confusion, given that Brown’s long and deep connect with the university. At the time, the idea was that Wright State would hire a replacement prior to the start of fall sports.
Well, Wright State certainly met that goal, even before the end of June, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel.
Like current Horizon League commissioner Jill Bodensteiner, Chandler’s journey through collegiate athletics started on the legal side. With a JD from Toledo, he began his career in compliance and legal, eventually representing Arizona State’s athletic program in the University Office of General Counsel. He moved from there in 2021 to his most recent role as deputy athletic director at Bradley, where he’s been in charge of the department’s internal operations and external partnerships, specifically Bradley Sports Properties, Learfield Amplify, and Under Armour.
The variety of experience Chandler has, primarily within the past five years at Bradley, is likely what appealed most to Wright State as the school looks to bolster its revenues while also trying to navigate through the current murkiness of the athletics landscape. Expect an official announcement to happen soon, if it hasn’t already before we hit the Publish button here.
Gottlieb Extended
Doug Gottlieb initial contract when he was hired as Green Bay’s head coach was unique in that included language related to his radio gig, not to mention that the cartoonishly large buyout clause. His annual salary was also decidedly lower, taking his other job into account. Plenty of questions abounded at the time, especially given the rocking first year of his tenure.
Fast forward a year, a monster turnaround in Year 2 that included a trip to Indy and Gottlieb’s decision to step away from his radio gig, and the Phoenix are in a much different direction than many pundits expected when he got the gig originally. With the future in mind, Gottlieb’s contract has now been extended to 2031, as initially reported by Kyle Malzhan.
In the new deal, Gottlieb is getting a pay bump, which, if he serves out the entire contract and achieves certain bonuses, would increase to $430,000. That would put him in line with the salaries of the upper half of Horizon League coaches. Also, there’s some revised buyout language, where if he leaves to take a gig at a power conference school before 2030, he’d owe $1.2 million. And yes, there’s media-related language in this new deal, on a sliding scale if he leaves for another job in that area.
As for the buyout if he’s fired, that figure has been revised as well, down to $800,000 if he’s terminated before April 1, 2028, with that dollar figure decreasing through the life of this new contract.
The extension for Gottlieb comes on the heels of an extension for his boss, athletic director Josh Moon, who’s also inked a new deal to keep him at Green Bay until 2031. Add in an extension of women’s basketball coach Kayla Karius, and Green Bay’s future is on much firmer ground than its conference cohorts.
Champion Once Again
As we mentioned during our interview with former Cleveland State superstar Norris Cole, his current team, Peñarol in the Uruguayan Basketball League, was in the middle of a championship run, playing in the league finals against Aguada.
Well, add another championship trophy to Cole’s resume.
The Peñarol championship marks the fourth time in Cole’s career that his team has reached the pinnacle. In addition to the two NBA championships with the Miami Heat, Cole was also a part of the Israeli League-winning squad for Maccabi Tel Aviv in 2017-18.
Why Yes, There Is a Horizon League-World Cup Connection
The World Cup marches on, and I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that there’s at least one connection between the Horizon League and the tournament, much as I did in 2024, when Detroit Mercy’s Bul Kuol played for South Sudan’s men’s basketball team in the Paris Olympics.
There is, in fact, one player on a World Cup roster that has some HL experience, and that’s Jesse Randall, who’s a member of New Zealand’s national team. The Auckland native was the Horizon League’s Freshman of the Year in 2021, starting 16 games for Northern Kentucky. during that time, he scored 10 goals and five assists.
After the 2021 season, Randall left the Norse to join Wellington Olympic in the National League, the country’s top tier soccer league. Since then, he’s spent time in the National League and, briefly, the USL in the United States, most recently playing the last three years with Auckland FC. His World Cup debut came in the group play match-up with Iran.
After the World Cup ends, Randall is expected to move clubs again, this time heading to Scotland, where he’ll play for Dundee United once his contract with Auckland expires.
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