After a series of appeals, court hearings, and a long waiting period, Southern Miss basketball’s John Wade III has been granted immediate eligibility via a confidential settlement with the NCAA.
Wade, who transferred to Southern Miss ahead of the 2024-25 season from Division II Stanislaus State, was ineligible for the first 18 games of the season. A restraining order against the NCAA was struck down by a federal judge in December, while a continuance was issued after Wade appeared before another judge in U.S. District Court last week.
But an out-of-court settlement has been reached between Wade and the NCAA due to new information, a statement from Southern Miss noted in a report from Hub City Spokes:
The extension of eligibility waiver submitted by The University of Southern Mississippi on behalf of John Wade II has been approved pursuant to NCAA Division I Bylaw 12.8.1.7.3 (extraordinary and extreme hardship during the 2022-23 academic year) based on new information on behalf of Mr. Wade. We will have no further comment than to say we’re happy for John and appreciative of all involved in the process.
Wade landed in Hattiesburg with no remaining eligibility according to current NCAA bylaws after he challenged the governing body’s “five year rule,” which says “[athletes] have five-calendar years in which to play four seasons of competition. Your five-year clock starts when you enroll as a full-time student at any college.”
The Oakland, Calif. native’s most recent court challenge, which was overseen by Judge Taylor McNeel in the Southern District Court of Mississippi, was based on the precedent established by the ruling that granted Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia additional eligibility due to antitrust law breach by the NCAA. A federal judge in Tennessee said Pavia’s two years of junior college should not have exhausted NCAA eligibility, and the rules stating such were a violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act.
This cracked the door open for Division I athletes across America whose eligibility expired after competing in the JUCO ranks.
But, as is cited in the statement from Southern Miss Athletics, the settlement allowing Wade’s eligibility is based on hardship during the 2022-23 season, which occurred when he was at Cal State Northridge. Wade was given a medical redshirt that season, but appears to have been given another season on the court due to a mental hardship health waiver being retroactively granted in effect.
Wade appeared in 27 games and made 19 starts for Stanislaus State in 2023-24, averaging 12.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per contest. He was an honorable mention All-California Collegiate Athletic Association selection following last season.
The NCAA’s waiver means Wade is a full go for Jay Ladner and the Golden Eagles beginning with Saturday’s road bout with Texas State. The shooting guard’s availability comes at the right time for Southern Miss, as the black and gold have started the season 8-10.
