When the 2026 season ended, there didn’t feel like a prayer in the world that Thomas Haugh was going to return to Florida for another season. Haugh was being floated as a potential lottery pick in the 2026 NBA Draft and it felt like a foregone conclusion he would leave.
And then he didn’t, and Haugh, along with Alex Condon and Rueben Chinyelu, opted to all return to Gaineville for the 2026/27 season.
In an interview this week, Haugh said he had unfinished business to accomplish, but also admitted the current landscape of college basketball is very player-friendly and certainly helped his decision to come back.
Thomas Haugh highlights why he returned to Florida for 2026/27 season
Appearing on “The Field of 68,” Haugh was asked about his return to Gainesville. He didn’t mince words that the current setup made his choice to return possible:
“I think it’s just the amount of money that these guys are getting, we’re getting, it’s kind of like a pro league. If you look at the pros, you get trades. It’s kind of like how the transfer portal works. It’s like everything the pros have, but dumbed down a little bit into college. I think that’s kind of how it is. I think it’s a good thing – I do think some laws and stuff will probably come into play here soon with the NCAA.
But for us as players, I think it’s the golden time to be in college basketball. I think all these guys, especially at the University of Florida with our collective, we’re going to take advantage of that. It’s been great so far, to me, but I do think there will be some laws and stuff that go in place here soon.”
Just to put Haugh’s return in perspective, former Gator Alijah Martin just signed a two-year deal with the Toronto Raptors worth just under $5 million. It’s a well-deserved deal, and no one is going to act like Martin isn’t making real money.
But if numbers that were floated around are true, there were reports that Haugh’s NIL deal for this upcoming year could be worth anywhere from $8 million to $10 million.
With money like that, it was almost a no-brainer for Haugh to get a guaranteed payday ahead of his NBA career. The crazy part is that the new “Five for Five” legislation that is coming down the pipeline means Haugh could return for a 5th year in 2027/28 if he really wanted to.
It all adds up that the quality of college basketball is only going to improve as talented players hang around longer and longer, versus bolting the first chance they get. Florida fans won’t wind as Haugh will hopefully lead the Gators to another national title in 2027.
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