Former UCLA guard Amari Bailey says he is pursuing an unprecedented path in college basketball: returning to the NCAA after appearing in NBA games.
Bailey, 21, has hired both an agent and an attorney as he prepares to challenge the NCAA’s eligibility rules in hopes of playing one final college season. If successful, he would become the first basketball player to return to college competition after signing an NBA contract and logging minutes in the league.
Bailey told ESPN that the idea of returning to college has stayed with him since he left UCLA for the NBA draft in 2023, but became a serious pursuit in 2025. Looking back, he believes he left unfinished business behind during his lone season with the Bruins.
“Right now I’d be a senior in college,” Bailey said. “I’m not trying to be 27 years old playing college athletics. No shade to the guys that do — that’s their journey. I went to play professionally, learned a lot, went through a lot. So why not me?”
The 6-foot-3 guard played one season at UCLA during the 2022–23 campaign before being selected in the second round of the 2023 NBA draft by the Charlotte Hornets. He appeared in 10 NBA games on a two-way contract during his rookie season and spent the next two years in the G League before being released this summer.
Bailey’s case represents another major legal challenge to the NCAA’s authority to enforce eligibility rules at a time when lawsuits and waivers have steadily reshaped college sports. NCAA president Charlie Baker stated in December that players who have signed NBA contracts would not be granted eligibility to return to college.
However, that position has already been tested. Alabama forward Charles Bediako — who also signed a two-way NBA contract and played in the G League — recently won a court injunction allowing him to play for the Crimson Tide. The NCAA is currently appealing that ruling.
“The NCAA has not and will not grant eligibility to any players who have signed an NBA contract,” said Tim Buckley, the NCAA’s senior vice president of external affairs. He added that congressional action is needed to prevent professional athletes from “suing their way” back into college sports.
Bediako’s legal team argued that the NCAA has been inconsistent in enforcing its own rules, pointing to the case of James Nnaji, a 2023 NBA draft pick who played professionally in Europe but was later cleared to play for Baylor. Bailey was selected just 10 picks after Nnaji in the same draft and signed a similar contract to Bediako’s.
Bailey argues that brief NBA appearances late in his rookie season should not permanently bar him from college competition. His attorney, Elliot Abrams, said the current system lacks justification.
“You’ve got a college-aged kid who wants to go to college, and you’ve got a system that says, ‘Too bad, you’re out forever,’” Abrams said. “I don’t see any real justification for it.”
Under NCAA rules, athletes are allowed four seasons of competition within a five-year window that begins when they first enroll in college. Bailey would still have one remaining season available during the 2026–27 academic year.
The NCAA does allow an exception for professional contracts that only cover “actual and necessary expenses,” a rule originally designed for international prospects. But that exception has been increasingly stretched as schools now pay players directly and NIL earnings often exceed salaries in lower-tier professional leagues.
Bailey said his only NBA contract was worth $565,000 — an amount he notes is comparable to what many high-level college players now earn.
Currently training twice a day in Southern California, Bailey plans to begin discussions with college programs soon. He says he is looking for a team where he can lead, run an offense, and compete for a Final Four appearance.
“This isn’t a stunt,” Bailey said. “I’m really serious about going back. I just want to improve my game, change the perception of me, and show that I can win.”
If the NCAA denies his waiver request, Bailey and his legal team are prepared to challenge the decision in court.
