Montana LB Solomon Tuliaupupu Granted 9th Year of Eligibility By NCAA

The NCAA officially granted Montana linebacker Solomon Tuliaupupu a rare ninth year of collegiate eligibility on Monday, allowing the veteran athlete to return to Missoula for the 2026 season following a career defined by persistent medical setbacks. The University of Montana announced the decision via social media, confirming that Tuliaupupu will remain a cornerstone of the Grizzlies' defense alongside teammate Dylan Jemtegaard, who was also cleared for a sixth season. This landmark ruling by the NCAA recognizes the extraordinary circumstances surrounding Tuliaupupu’s tenure, which has been largely derailed by a series of severe anatomical injuries dating back to his arrival at USC in 2018. Tuliaupupu's journey to this ninth season is a testament to resilience within the collegiate landscape. After joining the USC Trojans as a highly-touted recruit, he spent nearly his entire undergraduate career on the sidelines due to back-to-back surgeries on his foot in 2018 and his knee in 2020. It was not until 2022, his fifth year in the program, that he finally saw significant game action, appearing in 14 games and recording 10 tackles. However, his misfortune continued with another season-ending injury in 2023 and a 2024 campaign that was prematurely cut short by illness, leading to his eventual transfer to Montana in 2025. The 2026 season will mark only the third time in nearly a decade that the linebacker has entered a season with full physical clearance. His return coincides with a major leadership transition within the Montana football program. Tuliaupupu will anchor the defense under the guidance of new head coach Bobby Kennedy, who recently took over the position following the departure of longtime coach Bobby Hauck. Hauck, who briefly retired, has since moved on to become the defensive coordinator at the University of Illinois. Historically, ninth-year waivers are exceptionally rare and typically reserved for student-athletes who have lost multiple seasons to documented medical hardships or administrative errors beyond their control. For Tuliaupupu, the 2025 season represented his eighth year in the system but only his second full year of active play. By securing this final year, he now holds one of the longest tenures in the history of Division I football, providing a unique veteran presence for a Grizzlies team navigating a new coaching era.