The Two Man Game with Steve Smiley and Brady Hull – July 23, 2026 – The Brock Wisney lawsuit, former players paying a visit, summer wrap up, and more

“I have no seniors on this roster.” That is how Northern Colorado head coach Steve Smiley opened his mid-summer check-in — not as a boast, but as a description of the new reality. Because of the NCAA’s shift to a five-years-to-play-five model, Smiley’s 2026-27 roster contains zero fifth-year players. Every single Bear could theoretically return. That is the kind of structural disruption that ripples through recruiting, roster construction, and even lawsuits.

The 2027 class is caught in a squeeze

The five-for-five rule — five years of eligibility, all age-based after a player turns 19 — sounds simple. But it creates a brutal bottleneck for the 2027 high school class. Smiley explained the logic: a year ago at this time, he had no idea that guard Rylan Neary would develop into an ACC-bound starter at Wake Forest worth several hundred thousand dollars. “If I would have known Rylan Neary would have done what he did… I would have never predicted that at this point in time.” Because Smiley can now bring back almost his entire roster, he cannot promise spots to 2027 recruits the way he once could. The kids are good enough — but the math doesn’t work. “By the 2028 class, it’ll be fine,” Smiley said. “It’ll even out. But this 2027 class has got real problems.”