Former Wisconsin men's basketball guard joins NCAA eligibility lawsuit
A former Wisconsin guard has joined a lawsuit seeking an additional year of NCAA eligibility, potentially opening the door to a return in 2026-27.
Former Wisconsin men’s basketball guard Braeden Carrington is officially seeking another season of college eligibility.
According to a report from On3, Carrington has joined a lawsuit seeking an injunction that would allow him to play during the 2026-27 season despite exhausting his eligibility under the NCAA’s previous rules.
Carrington is among a growing group of athletes challenging the NCAA after its recent adoption of the “five-for-five” eligibility model, which allows student-athletes five years to compete in five seasons.
Players from the 2022 recruiting class, however, were not grandfathered into the new system, leaving many — including Carrington — ineligible for another season despite the rule change. The lawsuit represents another attempt to secure additional eligibility through the courts after a separate group of athletes received a preliminary injunction earlier this offseason.
The possibility of a return to Madison for the Brooklyn Park (Minn.) native had already become a topic of conversation.
Carrington was present during Wisconsin’s summer practice open to the media, participating in drills with the team while not wearing a practice jersey. At the time, head coach Greg Gard acknowledged the uncertainty surrounding the situation.
“We’re evaluating with the injunction just how that all impacts and who’s going to be attached to that,” Gard said. “Does the injunction stay? Does the NCAA push back on it immediately, or do they wait? I think there’s some unanswered questions there.
“That thing is changing by the hour. I don’t know what his intentions are, if he’s gonna get involved in that. He’s kind of taken a wait-and-see approach, as we all are. I think we’ll know more by the end of the month.”
Those intentions now appear much clearer.
Wisconsin currently has 14 of its 15 roster spots accounted for entering the 2026-27 season, leaving flexibility should Carrington ultimately receive another year of eligibility. Gard said the Badgers remain open to adding one more player. However, Gard indicated that the coaching staff has primarily been evaluating frontcourt options overseas while continuing to monitor developments in the various eligibility lawsuits.
If Carrington is ultimately granted another season and returns to Wisconsin, he’d immediately become one of the most experienced players on the Badgers’ roster.
The former Minnesota and Tulsa guard enjoyed the best season of his collegiate career after transferring to Wisconsin, averaging 8.3 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.1 assists while emerging as one of the Big Ten’s most dangerous perimeter shooters off the bench. Carrington connected on 40.1% of his three-point attempts and averaged 2.1 made three-pointers per game, providing a consistent scoring spark as the Badgers’ sixth man.
The 6-foot-5 guard’s signature performance came late in the regular season when he erupted for a program-record nine made three-pointers and 32 points against Washington. The scoring outburst marked the most points by a Wisconsin reserve since Rob Wilson scored 30 against Nebraska in 2012 during the Big Ten Tournament and showcased the type of instant offense that made Carrington such a valuable bench piece.
Whether Carrington ultimately returns to Wisconsin will depend on the outcome of the ongoing litigation and how Gard and his staff ultimately decide to use their final roster spot. After adding Trey Autry in the portal, retaining Jack Janicki, Zach Kinziger and Hayden Jones, and welcoming freshmen Jackson Ball and LaTrevion Fenderson, the Badgers have considerably more depth on the perimeter than they do in the frontcourt.
For now, the lawsuit offers the possibility of a reunion, while providing another reminder that the ever-changing landscape of college athletics continues to reshape roster management well beyond the transfer portal.
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