
Judge grants Oklahoma LB Heinecke extra year
Oklahoma linebacker Owen Heinecke granted an extra year of eligibility for 2026 after court ruling.
The NCAA has approved a new rule allowing Kentucky Basketball to potentially participate in foreign tours every summer, a shift from the previous four-year limit.
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Jul 16, 2023; Toronto, Ontario, Canada; A Kentucky fan holds up a flag during the first half of the Men's Gold game against Canada at Mattamy Athletic Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
We will likely see the Kentucky Basketball team play on a foreign tour this summer, but what if that became a yearly occurrence?
A new rule approved by the NCAA opens up that possibility.
The NCAA Division I Cabinet announced a new rule change this week that would allow menâs and womenâs basketball to participate in a foreign tour every year. Thatâs a significant change from the previous rule, which only permitted these foreign tours every four years.
Under the previous rule, the Kentucky menâs basketball team wouldnât have been eligible for another foreign tour until this coming summer.
Now, Mark Pope and Kenny Brooks will have the opportunity to possibly take their squads on an international trip every summer.
Will that happen? Nothing has been set in stone just yet, but if you recall, Mark Pope mentioned the idea back in February, noting the possibility of âan epic summer tour.â
Pope publicly praised the idea then, emphasizing how these trips help teams bond over the summer.
Where could the team end up playing? Pope didnât specify, but noted that it would be somewhere the team had never been before. If Iâm guessing, some kind of European tour would make sense, but Italy would likely be off the list, as Kentucky went there before the 95-96 season when Pope was a player at Kentucky. Spain, Greece, and France are some countries other teams have played in over recent years.
Regardless, I think we should expect Kentucky to play in one of these foreign tours this summer, and with what is expected to be multiple new additions to the roster for next season, a foreign tour could be very valuable to help the team bond heading into the most consequential season of Mark Popeâs coaching career.
The new NCAA rule allows men's and women's basketball teams to participate in foreign tours every year instead of every four years.
Annual foreign tours could enhance Kentucky Basketball's recruitment, team bonding, and international exposure.
The new NCAA rule was announced in July 2023.

Oklahoma linebacker Owen Heinecke granted an extra year of eligibility for 2026 after court ruling.

MbappĂ©: 10 intentos, 3 equipos, 9 entrenadores, 70 goles y aĂșn sin Champions.
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