WVU’s Chance Moore Cleared to Play by NCAA—but Start of Season Holds a Shocking Twist

In the often harsh world of NCAA eligibility battles, Tuesday brought a rare moment of relief for West Virginia University’s hoops squad. Senior guard Chance Moore, whose collegiate journey has been a winding road from Arkansas to Missouri State, and then St. Bonaventure, has been granted eligibility for the 2025-26 season—though with the catch that he’ll sit out the first five games. Still, the fact that he can practice and build chemistry before hitting the hardwood is a win in itself. Coach Ross Hodge didn’t mince words, expressing real excitement about what Moore’s size, skill, and competitive fire bring to the Mountaineers. Now, if you know WVU’s recent history with the NCAA’s waiver rulings, this is quite the turnaround. There’s been heartbreak before with Perez and Battle, but Moore’s success in securing this waiver injects some optimism. At 6-foot-6 and a proven scorer and rebounder, Moore is already a known force, and his return should light a fire under the team. This is more than just a roster update; it’s a pivotal development that could shape the upcoming season in Morgantown in a big way. LEARN MORE

MORGANTOWN — The WVU men’s basketball team came out on the positive end from a NCAA eligibility ruling Wednesday, as senior guard Chance Moore was ruled eligible for the 2025-26 season.

“We are pleased that the NCAA approved the waiver for Chance to have his fifth season of eligibility,” WVU head coach Ross Hodge said in a statement. “As I said when he signed, Chance has the ability, size and physicality to impact both sides of the ball and impact winning at a high level. We are thrilled with the ruling and look forward to Chance being a Mountaineer this season.”

Moore, a transfer from St. Bonaventure, who also played at Arkansas and Missouri State, will have to sit out the first five games this season before he can play. The 6-foot-6 guard is eligible to practice and work out with the team prior to the season.

WVU’s applied for the waiver on the grounds that those five games at Arkansas – Moore played a total of eight minutes in those five games – did not constitute a full season of eligibility. The NCAA agreed, but ruled Moore must sit out the first five games of the regular season in 2025. He would be eligible to participate in an exhibition game or closed scrimmages during the preseason.  

NCAA eligibility rulings have not gone the Mountaineers’ way in recent seasons. In 2023, guard Jose Perez was denied a waiver and was forced to sit out a season. Perez later transferred to Arizona State to finish his college career. A year later, the NCAA denied RaeQuan Battle a waiver. It was only after Battle won a federal court decision against the NCAA midway through that season was he granted eligibility.

Moore averaged 13.0 points and 6.5 rebounds last season at St. Bonaventure and started 31 games. He started 23 games over two seasons at Missouri State and averaged 10.8 points per game over those two seasons. He began his second season at Missouri State by scoring 24 points in 37 minutes against WVU, during Josh Eilert’s season as the Mountaineers’ interim head coach.

His career began at Arkansas as a four-star recruit out of McEachern High in Powder Springs, Ga., but he saw action in only five games as a freshman and began his trek into the transfer portal.