Vanderbilt basketball's Tyler Nickel enters transfer portal without eligibility, here's why

Yahoo Sports3h ago21 min readOriginal source →

TL;DR

Tyler Nickel of Vanderbilt basketball has entered the transfer portal despite lacking eligibility. He previously played four years across North Carolina, Virginia Tech, and Vanderbilt.

Key points

Tyler Nickel entered the transfer portal on April 19
Nickel has no remaining eligibility
He played one year at North Carolina
He played one year at Virginia Tech
He played two years with Vanderbilt

Tyler NickelVanderbiltNorth CarolinaVirginia Tech

Vanderbilt basketball's Tyler Nickel enters transfer portal without eligibility, here's why

Vanderbilt basketball's Tyler Nickel entered the transfer portal on April 19, USA TODAY Sports has learned.

However, Nickel is a unique case because he does not have any eligibility currently, having played four years already. This was noted in his portal entry.

Nickel played one year at North Carolina, one year at Virginia Tech and two years with the Commodores. In 2025-26, he averaged 13.5 points per game and shot 40% from 3-point range.

Nickel is one of multiple players without eligibility who have entered the transfer portal in this and previous offseasons on the chance that the NCAA changes its rules to grant them eligibility.

Here is how Nickel could be granted eligibility:

Vanderbilt Commodores forward Tyler Nickel (5) celebrates after making a 3-pointer during a first-round game in the NCAA men's basketball tournament between McNeese and Vanderbilt at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Thursday, March 19, 2026.

OXFORD, MISSISSIPPI - MARCH 03: Tyler Nickel #5 of the Vanderbilt Commodores reacts after a turnover by the Ole Miss Rebels during the first half at The Pavilion at Ole Miss on March 03, 2026 in Oxford, Mississippi. (Photo by Wes Hale/Getty Images)