UNC basketball’s Seth Trimble completed four seasons with the Tar Heels, capping his senior year with a speech at the Smith Center and a heartfelt social media post recapping his time in Chapel Hill.
So why, as On3’s Pete Nakos first reported on Monday, April 20, is Trimble entering the transfer portal without eligibility?
The simple answer is so Trimble can leave his options open. The complex response centers around the NCAA’s “five-for-five” rule, which could go into effect in 2026 and could affect Trimble’s status as a college athlete.
According to a USA TODAY Sports article on April 16 by John Brice, “support for the de facto “five-for-five” — five years to play five seasons, no redshirts, virtually no medical exemptions and the potential for waivers due to religious missions, military service or pregnancy — was unanimous among those individuals who spoke to USA TODAY Sports. The group represented individuals from the conference level to individual sport head coaches at three levels of NCAA athletics to front-office executives and even an NFL front-office member.” Trimble is one of multiple players without eligibility who have entered the transfer portal in case the NCAA changes its rules to grant them eligibility.
How could Seth Trimble have NCAA eligibility, still play college basketball?
As it currently stands, Trimble does not have eligibility remaining after playing four seasons at UNC. However, some players in his situation have entered the transfer portal in hopes that the NCAA passes the “five-for-five” rule, which would give all athletes five years of eligibility with no redshirts and limited waivers immediately after their high school graduation or 19th birthday. Trimble meets that criteria. Without the rule, Trimble would remain ineligible. If the rule passes, it’s not clear how it would be implemented and if four-year players would be “grandfathered” in as players eligible to receive a fifth year.
Will Seth Trimble transfer from UNC basketball?
It’s unclear if UNC’s plan entering its first year with Michael Malone would involve Seth Trimble if Trimble was granted a fifth year of eligibility. As of Monday, April 20, the Tar Heels have three perimeter players on the roster in Virginia Tech transfer Neoklis Avdalas returners Jaydon Young, Isaiah Denis.
UNC is also in the mix for more high-profile transfer portal players in Utah’s Terrence Brown, Wake Forest’s Juke Harris, and N.C. State’s Matt Able and Paul McNeil. If the NCAA rule does pass, it’s possible there could be an avenue for Trimble to return to UNC, but it’s unknown even though Trimble entered the transfer portal with a “do not contact” tag. No matter the ultimate result, Trimble’s decision to enter the portal keeps his options open due to the NCAA’s current rules. Hubert Davis was fired March 24 and players on UNC’s roster have until April 26 to enter the transfer portal without penalty.
Seth Trimble stats with UNC basketball
Trimble, who owns a Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream shop on Franklin Street in Chapel Hill, was UNC’s top two-way player on the perimeter in his senior season, averaging 14 points and 3.8 rebounds. He dropped a career-high 30 points against Louisville and also had an all-time moment when he drilled a near buzzer-beating 3-pointer against Duke at the Smith Center.
In the Portsmouth Invitational, an event that allowed college seniors an opportunity to play in front of professional scouts in mid-April, Trimble averaged 14 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2 assists across three games. He also made a mark with a standing vertical leap of 41.5 inches to lead all participants.
