The transfer portal has become college football’s land of second chances, but for Tulane long snapper Zach Billings, the door has slammed shut. Not because of talent or for performance, but because, according to his family, the paperwork never got done!

Billings was looking for an extra year of eligibility to enter the portal. But Tulane ruled him out during the program’s coaching transition from Jon Sumrall to Will Hall. His mother, Kristin Billings, has now come out publicly to blame the athletic department for mishandling the situation.

“For weeks, we have sought confirmation regarding my son’s extra year of eligibility, yet Erin Banks has failed to provide any evidence of an NCAA submission. Furthermore, the Athletic Director’s office has remained silent despite my attempts to resolve this. While staff members move on to new opportunities, the student-athletes left behind deserve the professional courtesy of timely paperwork and honest communication.

“Thanks for ending my son’s college football career. Here’s to hoping he receives his ring, the watch and other items the boys still on campus received this week, and the money that’s owed to him.”

This urgency for an extra year is not just about the game; it’s also about the paycheck. Under the House v NCAA settlement, the schools are now allowed to share revenue directly with the athletes. So, as a specialist on a 13-win Green Wave team, an extra year of eligibility would have made Billings valuable in the portal. 

Tulane’s refusal to clarify the status of eligibility prevented him from entering the portal and from having a chance to make money. Money is a big reason why many players have challenged the NCAA’s eligibility rules in court, too. This was why Diego Pavia went to court, since some of his eligibility was used up in his JUCO football career.

Moreover, to really understand why Billings felt entitled to that extra year, you have to look at his journey. He began his college football career in the FCS ranks in 2021, playing at Gardner-Webb. After his freshman season, he entered the portal and moved to Charlotte, from where he left as a redshirt junior in 2025. He saw limited playing time at both stops before he ended up with Tulane for the 2025 season.

When he entered the transfer portal in 2025, he mentioned that he had “1-2 years of remaining eligibility,” which is a claim that now sits at the heart of the dispute between his family and the Tulane compliance office.

Interestingly, Zach Billings is not the only player who missed out on entering the transfer portal due to eligibility issues.

Five players denied injunction and chance to enter transfer portal

The NCAA denied a preliminary injunction to five players from D-I football, who were also dissatisfied with the NCAA redshirt rules. Of the five, four players testified that their coaches wanted them to return for next season. If they didn’t get the injunction, the staff would be seeking replacements from the transfer portal.

The players, Vanderbilt LB Langston Patterson, Nebraska long snapper Kevin Gallic, and Wisconsin kicker Nathaniel Vakos, tight end Lance Mason, and long snapper Nick Levy, wanted to play 5 year in college football. They haven’t used a redshirt.

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According to us District Court Judge William Campbell, the players could not provide a strong enough argument in their claim that the NCAA’s redshirt rules violate antitrust laws for them. Campbell is the same judge who granted Diego Pavia an injunction to play the 2025 season. Because of this ruling, the quarterback’s NIL valuation rose to $2.5 million.

The priority for players like Zach Billings is to get more playing time in their career and potentially make use of it at a better program. But because there is little legal precedent in cases like these, they tend to receive an extremely tough sentence to their careers.