Tyon Grant-Foster may or may not be eligible to play college basketball at Gonzaga this season. The 25-year-old, seventh-year senior remains in NCAA purgatory.
He is devastated by the prolonged process and doesn’t know what else to do.
This ruling (or lack thereof) directly contradicts other moves within the sport. A player who twice died on the court just wants to keep playing after doctors told him he couldn’t.
Who is Tyon Grant-Foster?
Grant-Foster graduated from F.L. Schlagle High School in Kansas City, Kansas with the Class of 2018. The 6-foot-7 swingman played the first two years of his college basketball career at Indiana Hills Community College.
His impressive sophomore season in 2019-2020 led him to be named as the No. 2 overall junior college transfer in the country. He ultimately transferred to Kansas.
However, Grant-Foster averaged only 8.1 minutes per game in 22 games for the Jayhawks during the unusual first year post-pandemic so he re-entered the transfer portal as a would-be rising senior. That led him to DePaul.
This is where things take a turn for the worst.
Tyon Grant-Foster collapsed at halftime of the 2021-22 season-opener and was rushed to the hospital. His heart needed to be shocked back into rhythm three different times. He later underwent two heart surgeries. Doctors told him he would never play basketball again.
Despite all odds, after almost two full years away from the court, Grant-Foster returned to basketball at Grand Canyon. His two years with the Lops were a great success.
Grant-Foster was named as the WAC Player of the Year for the 2023-24 season and led his team in scoring during the program’s first-ever NCAA Tournament win. He averaged 14.8 points, 5.0 rebounds 2.1 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.5 blocks in 27.5 minutes per game last year.
That might not be the end of his college basketball journey.
Gonzaga is waiting on the NCAA to clear him for a seventh season of college basketball.
Tyon Grant-Foster decided to enter back into the transfer portal during the offseason and ultimately committed to Gonzaga. His eligibility status remains in limbo.
The NCAA decided this year not to count junior college toward eligibility limits because of a lawsuit. Every athlete gets four full years on the Division-I, Division-II or Division-III level of competition.
That would mean Grant-Foster’s career breaks down as follows:
- 2018-19: Indian Hills — doesn’t count, Juco
- 2019-20: Indian Hills — doesn’t count, Juco
- 2020-21: Kansas — doesn’t count, COVID
- 2021-22: DePaul — played only one half of one game, Year 1
- 2022-23: OUT
- 2023-24: Grand Canyon — Year 2
- 2024-25: Grand Canyon — Year 3
Per the rules as they are written, he should have at least one year left of eligibility. It could be two if he can receive a medical redshirt for his lone year (really lone game) with the Blue Demons.
However, the NCAA is choosing to fight.
His case is straightforward.
In an era of collegiate athletics where athletes are being granted additional eligibility for reasons that are not open-heart surgery, it seems like Tyon Grant-Foster’s case should be easy. Yes, he might be 25 years old, but the NCAA no longer counts Juco toward eligibility and his heart literally stopped on the court. Twice.
Bulldogs head coach Mark Few does not see any reason why his star transfer should not be eligible.
“He’s an incredible guy,” Few said. “He’s got an incredible story. I’ve been coaching college for 37 years and I’ve seen a lot of these situations and a lot of these waivers have went through. I know it’s a hard situation for the NCAA with all these waivers that happen to be out there. But listen, I’ve never seen one as unique as this. I mean, he literally died — his heart stopped not once but twice when he was on the floor. And he didn’t have two years of basketball. He’s put everything into basketball. It means a world to him.“
Most people would agree that he should be allowed to play due to the circumstances.
And again, I’ve seen all kinds of things for, ‘my cousin wasn’t feeling well, so I got to go home so I need a waiver,’ and that was granted. And, ‘I didn’t start last year, I didn’t get to play point and I’m mentally off so I need a waiver,’ and that was granted. He literally died twice. And again, I’ve been a huge advocate for the NCAA and will continue to be. They got a tough gig but they’re just wrong on this one.“
Gonzaga started this process as soon as Grant-Foster committed.
“Ty’s filed a case and we’ll hope that this turns out the right way. But yeah, it’s just been tough. The timing of it’s too, we submitted a waiver way back in June, and so he really doesn’t have any options here if this doesn’t come through.”
And yet, the NCAA will not deem him as eligible. Rather, the opposite.
The NCAA is holding him hostage.
Grant-Foster, like many athletes before him, took his case to court. A preliminary injunction hearing was scheduled in Spokane County Superior Court on Thursday morning.
The NCAA filed a “notice of removal” motion at the last second. Its motion argues that the state court lacks jurisdiction because eligibility rulings cannot be challenged under state law, and asks the case to be moved from state court to federal court.
This will delay both the hearing and any potential ruling on Grant-Foster’s eligibility request.
That is significant because Gonzaga will open its 2025-26 men’s college basketball season at home on Nov. 3. Grant-Foster most also accept a winter-sports scholarship by Oct. 28.
Those two things are now in limbo because the NCAA is actively trying to keep him from playing.
Tyon Grant-Foster may or may not be cleared to play before the season begins, or at all. He is crushed.
I don’t get it. The NCAA will not allow Grant-Foster to play after two heart surgeries. Meanwhile, it will allow athletes of the same age to come over from professional competition. Make it make sense!