Mark Mitchell is returning to Missouri for the 2026-27 season after initially committing to Kentucky out of the transfer portal, CBS Sports' Jon Rothstein reported on Monday. Mitchell is one of the top players seeking a fifth year of eligibility via the courts. His path to becoming eligible appears clearer at Missouri than through an intra-conference transfer with the Wildcats.
Kentucky was viewed as one of the biggest winners of the fifth-year chaos after landing Mitchell to secure the top-ranked transfer portal class in the 247Sports rankings. Despite being cleared by a Kentucky judge to play this season via a temporary restraining order, his path to suit up for Big Blue Nation became complicated after high-major conferences, including the SEC, spoke out about professionals returning to college.
SEC intra-conference rules state that an athlete can transfer within the conference, "within their sport's regular NCAA transfer window immediately following the sport's championship segment." Sources told CBS Sports' Matt Norlander last week that the intra-conference SEC transfer is under renewed scrutiny and was in serious doubt after SEC presidents reaffirmed their conference's policy on intra-league transfers.
Mitchell, who exhausted his eligibility after playing this past season at Missouri, did not enter the transfer portal during the window described because he wasn't eligible to play (at the time) since the five-in-five age-based eligibility model rule hadn't been made official.
Mitchell played in summer league with the Denver Nuggets before exploring a path to return to school after going undrafted in the 2026 NBA Draft.
Will Mitchell play for Missouri this season?
Although Mitchell's case for a fifth year of eligibility got clearer by returning to his old school, it's still not a guarantee that he will play this season.
The policy the SEC released last week states that an athlete who "previously declared for the NFL, NBA, or WNBA Draft, and did not appropriately withdraw" would be ruled ineligible. That would disqualify multiple players from transferring and playing, but Mitchell's case could be different. His argument would be that because five-for-five hadn't been implemented before he left school after exhausting his eligibility, there would be no point in him entering the transfer portal.
Mitchell would be one of the most impactful fifth-year players in the sport if he does return this season. The former Duke forward transferred to Missouri during the 2024 offseason and averaged 18.3 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists last season for the Tigers.
Expectations were already high for Missouri this season, with five-star guard Jason Crowe Jr. and four-star forward Toni Bryant entering the program alongside one of the best transfer classes in the country, headlined by Bryson Tiller (Kansas), Jaylen Carey (Tennessee), Jamier Jones (Providence) and Kennard Davis Jr. (BYU).
Missouri's updated starting lineup projection
2025-26 record: 20-13 overall, 10-8 in SEC play
Postseason: No. 10 seed; lost in the Round of 64
Projected 2026-27 starting lineup
- G Jason Crowe Jr.
- G Jamier Jones
- F Trent Pierce
- F Mark Mitchell
- F Bryson Tiller
Top bench options: F Jaylen Carey, G Kennard Davis, F Toni Bryant, F Luke Northweather, C Trent Burns, G Jordan Crawford, F Aidan Chronister, G Cord Stansberry, F Nicholas Randall
