Courtroom Buzzer-Beater: Josh Reed Takes NCAA to Task
Former Penn State forward Josh Reed, expecting his fourth and final collegiate season, has joined a group of 15 players suing the NCAA over its new age-based eligibility model. The revamped rule starts each athlete’s eligibility clock at age 19 or upon college enrollment, whichever comes first, and does not grant an extra year to those who have just finished four seasons without redshirting or benefiting from the COVID exemption. Reed, who never redshirted during his three years at Cincinnati before transferring to Penn State, argues that the NCAA’s change “violates the covenant of good faith and fair dealing” and is seeking an injunction to secure a fifth year on the court. If successful, Reed could don the Nittany Lions jersey again, otherwise his college career ends abruptly.
The NCAA’s reaction? A perfunctory “Thanks, but no thanks”—as though cosmic justice consists of barring overworked basketball prospects from one more season of free housing and cafeteria pizza. Meanwhile, head coach Mike Rhoades is left calculating how many international imports he can squeeze into next year’s lineup without triggering a civil war in the Big Ten. The true winners here? Lawyers with billable hours to spare and Twitter trolls sharpening their keyboards for the next eligibility announcement.
Nittany Lions Go for Gold: McKenna Poised to Make Draft History
Penn State hockey’s Gavin McKenna is projected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, potentially making history as the first top pick from the Nittany Lions and joining Michigan as one of two schools with No. 1 selections in both the NFL and NHL. Since the revival of varsity ice hockey in 2012, Penn State has seen 17 players drafted, including Jackson Smith as a first-rounder in 2025. McKenna would be the 18th and second first-round NHL pick, following rising women’s draft success in the PWHL. The program has consistently produced talent with players selected in five straight drafts from 2019 to 2023.
Behold the ultimate flex: a hockey star demanding ice time on your campus and then skating straight into millionaire territory, while the rest of us are still figuring out how to warm up a frozen pizza without setting off the fire alarm. If Michigan can brag about top picks in two pro leagues, Penn State’s like, “Hold my hockey stick.” Meanwhile, women’s hockey players are racking up draft spots faster than a TikTok frenzy, leaving campus ski lodges shivering in their wake.
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