College athletics is getting out of control.
On Christmas Eve, it was reported that former NBA Draft second round pick James Nnaji would be heading back to college basketball and play for Baylor, becoming immediately eligible for Scott Drew while being granted four years of eligibiity by the NCAA.
NEWS: 7-foot center James Nnaji, the No. 31 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, has committed to Baylor, source told @On3sports.
— Joe Tipton (@JoeTipton) December 24, 2025
The 21-year-old big man will play the second half of the season and has been granted four years of eligibility by the NCAA.https://t.co/3Qddu13Lyi pic.twitter.com/R0D9Z1s1sC
Nnaji was drafted 31st overall in the 2023 NBA Draft by the Charlotte Hornets as part of a trade, and his draft rights were later sent to the New York Knicks. However, Nnaji never signed an NBA contract and instead elected to develop his game overseas.
In the new NIL era, it's become increasingly difficult for the NCAA to differentiate "professional" and "amateur." Thus, former college players who never signed an NBA contract or played in the G League are now eligible to return to school.
It's an insane development that is continuing to turn the world of college spots inside out. And now, former Duke basketball players are trolling these new rules.
Former Duke basketball guard DJ Steward trolls college sports chaos on social media
After it was announced that Nnaji would be returning to school, a social media post hinting at former Duke guard DJ Steward coming back surfaced on X. Steward wasted no time having fun amid the chaos.
Hey @djstewardd wanna come back to Duke for a couple years? pic.twitter.com/lFpAN1TnKP
— Blue Devils (@BlueDevils) December 25, 2025
"Why not !!" Steward replied.
Now, although this shocking reality is what college sports are now, Steward specifically could not come back to the college game, as he's signed contracts in the NBA.
Nonetheless, it's a pretty ridiculous world that college basketball fans will have to live in now, and the NCAA is losing full grasp of the rules with no one enforcing them.
The sport of college basketball has officially turned into a pro league, and who knows where it is headed from here. With the rapidly changing landscape around the game as a whole, this new step into former professionals coming back to school and being immediately eligible could just be a stepping stone into later repercussions that will continue to completely alter the game fans have known and loved for so long.
No one knows where the game is headed, but it's pushing further and further away from what was once amateur sports.