The talk of the town over the past couple of days in the college landscape has been the ruling issued by Judge Charlotte Sweeney of the U.S. District Court in Colorado granting a class-wide preliminary injunction for the 2022 recruiting class. In simpler words, each and every former college athlete who graduated high school in 2022 has now been granted an extra year of eligibility, so long as they have not signed a pro contract elsewhere.
This of course means the floodgates are now open for countless stars across sports – particularly basketball, as a majority of second-round picks have yet to sign their contracts – to make a return to the college game. However, one of the more under-the-radar intricacies of this ruling is the chance that college basketball teams would be granted an extra roster spot for the 2026-27 season.
Now of course, all of this still has to, and has yet to, be approved by the NCAA, meaning that a countersuit could still be filed, ultimately deeming every player in the 2022 class ineligible once again. However, if everything stays on the track it's on, odds are all those players will be granted the chance to return, on top of that extra roster spot being added.
What it means for Wisconsin
For the Wisconsin Badgers, this means big things. Guard Braeden Carrington was a part of the original group of players in search of the extra year of eligibility and has been around the Badger organization all summer. Him being granted the extra year all but guarantees his return to Madison, securing the 15th roster spot.
Braeden Carrington WILL be returning in 2026-2027 🔥 pic.twitter.com/PYZZA9MfXo
— Dr. Marte (@Badgers_44) July 31, 2026
However, if the door to that 16th roster spot does get opened, Wisconsin could have the opportunity to go out and find a guy to plug a currently vacant hole on the roster. Many fans have alluded to the Badgers' possible shortcoming at the backup guard spot, as if things stay on the track they are on now, Wisconsin will be forced to rely heavily on underclassmen to fill that void.
Others have suggested the Badgers should search for another big, something even head coach Greg Gard has shown interest in. It's never a bad idea to stack the roster with as much frontcourt depth as possible, given the fact that it is the position most susceptible to injury and fatigue.
Another possible, yet very unlikely, route that Wisconsin can take is targeting an old friend: AJ Storr – who too was granted an extra year. Storr choosing to come back to Madison for what will likely be a far smaller sum of money in comparison to what he can get elsewhere is extremely unlikely, but it's a fun scenario to think about, especially given what he can bring to the team.
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