What Cam Rising said about playing an extra year and goals for the Utes in 2024

Utes QB ready to play out his final college season in Salt Lake City

Cam Rising says it's not about stats, saying "I want rings and hardware" /

Cam Rising is about to enter his seventh season at Utah. However, this year doesn't have to be his last in Salt Lake City.

The Utes standout QB has the option to play an eighth and final season in 2025 due to a proposed settlement agreement of a lawsuit between the NCAA and the United States Justice Department. This agreement would restore one year of college eligibility to players who were required to sit out a season due to the transfer eligibility rule during or since the 2019-20 academic year.

But he cleared the air on Tuesday to open Big 12 Football Media Days in Las Vegas. Action Network's Brett McMurphy asked if he’ll be back in 2025 and Rising said, “That’s not the plan. Seven years is more than enough”

Rising has had a significant impact on Utah's football program since becoming the starting quarterback. The Texas transfer's influence was immediately felt during the 2021 season with a Pac-12 championship and Rose Bowl bid. Despite initial setbacks, including injuries that limited his play, he quickly demonstrated his leadership on and off the field.

All Utes reporter Kris Miller got a one-on-one interview with Rising at Allegiant Field in Las Vegas. The message from the Utes leader was clear going into the 2024 season. "I want to be known as a winner," Rising said. "I don't care about stats. I don't care about any of that. I want to get a ring and I want to get some hardware for the Trophy case. That's my goal."

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Rising, 25, and every other Division I athlete already had an extra year of eligibility due to the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. The NCAA granted everyone one more year, and many around the country took advantage of it, including Rising. He would be the same age as Utah's Devaughn Vele, who was the oldest available player in the 2024 NFL Draft. The former Utes wide receiver was drafted by the Denver Broncos at the age of 26.

The Justice Department’s antitrust division joined a lawsuit in January and alleged the transfer rule “limited competition for college athletes and restricted their ability to transfer to colleges and universities that provided better educational and athletic opportunities for them.” The lawsuit also included 10 states and the District of Columbia, according to the court documents.

The proposed settlement would also force the NCAA to no longer enforce its transfer eligibility Rule or any similar rule “requiring a Division I student-athlete to maintain a period of residence or otherwise refrain from competition solely because of a transfer between NCAA member institutions.” Part of the reason Rising opted to play in 2024 was because of an injury that kept him out of the entire 2023 season.