The Wisconsin Badgers have 14 players on the roster with a max capacity of 15. Greg Gard has not been shy about the fact that he wants to fill it and have 15/15 playing for Wisconsin next year. Yet, the Badgers haven't yet, and November is fast approaching. It seems like the major hold-up may be what happens with the 2022 class, which may or may not get a fifth year of eligibility. If they do, Braeden Carrington would be the first and primary option.
There's new news but not final news on that front. The final news will come from the Tenth Circuit, but more on that in a minute. First, Carrington was part of a group of 70+ players who were part of a lawsuit seeking an extra year, and a judge in California just gave the final go-ahead to make it happen. It's one of many similar lawsuits happening around the country. Leading to an ultimate battle between 2022 class players and the NCAA.
What makes this different for Carrington and the Badgers is that he had yet to have a court approve his eligibility. Other players have gotten this via similar lawsuits, but Carrington's wasn't through yet. Now it is, and that means that Wisconsin and Carrington can at least, in the meantime, work out a deal, and Carrington could even practice with the team. This is very promising.
Just in via network sources and @TexasTrialGroup : Wisconsin guard Braeden Carrington among a group of 70+ players that has been granted a TRO in the California lawsuit #Badgers
— Nick Osen (@TheRealNickOsen) August 18, 2026
Wisconsin still has the 15th roster spot open, ahead of this news
Wisconsin could officially add Braeden Carrington to the roster while pending the Tenth Circuit
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This, of course, is all pending what happens when the NCAA takes all of this to the Tenth Circuit court to blanket over all these lawsuits to say, "Not so fast! No eligibility for you." Or it could be that the Tenth Circuit agrees with these lawsuits and gives the 2022 class the eligibility they seek. Which would create additional chaos; well, it's already chaotic, so maybe that doesn't matter.
It will be interesting to see how Carrington and Wisconsin handle this in the next few days while the NCAA awaits the Tenth Circuit ruling. Other colleges have been publicly declaring the addition of these players after lawsuits like the one Carrington was in go through. Will Wisconsin come out and say something?
Will there be a statement by Gard? Will Carrington be quietly added to the roster? Or will it be a waiting game to see how this all plays out, which could be in the next couple of weeks? That will be the story.
Wisconsin does have a precedent to simply add Carrington, and a legal one at that. But, odds are that they take a more cautious route. Especially considering that Gard even mentioned that the 15th spot would be best used on a big man. The problem with that is that there just aren't good ones available, and if you aren't going to add a good big man, then why not add a dynamic guard that you know can score and play great for the Badgers?
The final roster spot seems like it will go to Carrington unless something crazy happens in the next week or two.
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