It used to be that you could expect a college athlete to stick around a program for four or five years and make a name for himself or herself. The transfer portal and name, image, and likeness (NIL) have made loyalty to a single program almost quaint these days.
We’ve seen the rise of what I call the “transfer sluts,” those players who change uniforms regularly. We’ve seen players chase dollars — and get big money. And we’ve seen the landscape of college athletics shift dramatically.
One of those shifts is athletes who receive extensions to their years of eligibility. The NCAA has given an extension to one player who will now have a college career longer than twice the time it takes to get an undergraduate degree.
“Montana linebacker Solomon Tuliaupupu will return for the 2026 season after being granted a ninth year of eligibility by the NCAA, reports ESPN. “The school announced Tuliaupupu's return on social media Monday alongside sixth-year offensive lineman Dylan Jemtegaard.”
𝐆𝐫𝐢𝐳 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐠𝐨𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 💪
— Montana Griz Football (@MontanaGrizFB) February 9, 2026
LB Solomon Tuliaupupu & OL Dylan Jemtegaard receive waivers from the NCAA and will be BACK in 2026!#GoGriz pic.twitter.com/DctceaF1v5
To be fair, injuries have plagued Tuliaupupu (imagine having to type that out) throughout his entire collegiate career, as ESPN explains:
Tuliaupupu, who turns 26 in March, is entering his second season at Montana after starting his collegiate career at USC in 2018. He was sidelined for his entire undergraduate campaign at USC after two surgery-requiring injuries impacting his foot (2018) and knee (2020).
The linebacker's first season at Montana -- and eighth overall -- was just his second full season played and third with game action.
He saw the field for the first time as a redshirt senior in 2022, appearing in all 14 games for the Trojans and recording 10 tackles, including three for a loss, and one quarterback hurry.
Tuliaupupu was sidelined by another injury in 2023 and missed the whole season. He wrapped up his USC career in 2024, playing in seven games for the Trojans before his season was cut short because of illness. He transferred to Montana in 2025.
At this point, if I’d had this many injuries, I’d hang up my cleats and call it a day. At the same time, shouldn’t Tuliaupupu be a doctor by now and able to diagnose and treat his own injuries?
Related: College Football Rang in the New Year With a Cutoff and a Reality Check
One thing’s for certain: Tuliaupupu is old enough to call his fellow players, “son,” and begin stories with, “When I was your age…” The man graduated from high school eight years ago.
Fun fact: Solomon Tuliaupupu was in the same high school recruiting class as Micah Parsons, who just finished his 5th NFL season. https://t.co/x9lx6FMHhZ pic.twitter.com/ZQxSYujoUm
— College Sports Only (@CSOonX) February 10, 2026
How is this possible? Solomon Tuliaupupu is older than me. I graduated UM almost three years ago https://t.co/9xpdiuZ3HO
— Griffen Smith (@Griffen8Smith) February 9, 2026
“Tuliaupupu is set to join tight end Cam McCormick in the nine-year club. McCormick spent 2016-22 at Oregon before playing for Miami in 2023 and '24,” reports Reuters. “He is now a scouting assistant for the New England Patriots.”
Side note: That second sentence reads “He is mow a scouting assistant for the New England Patriots.” I couldn’t leave that in there, even with a [sic]. Everybody needs an editor.
I don’t wish any ill will on Tuliaupupu (and I’ve become a real pro at typing his name). I just hope that he’s still taking classes, unlike Miami interception machine quarterback Carson Beck who admitted that he was just literally majoring in football this season:
College football in 2026 👇
— The Next Round (@NextRoundLive) January 17, 2026
Reporter: "Did you have class yesterday"
Carson Beck: "No class. I graduated two years ago."#GoCanes #NationalChampionship #CFBPlayoff pic.twitter.com/vtTSB4Ljvi
The question remains: Where will the madness of college athletics end? I hope stuff like this doesn’t get out of hand.
The culture doesn’t take a day off—and neither do we.
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