Mizzou guard/forward Mark Mitchell (25) looks to pass (copy) (copy)

Former Mizzou forward Mark Mitchell looks to pass Jan. 7 at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Ky. Mitchell entered the transfer portal Friday after a Kentucky judge granted him that ability, clearing the path for him to play a fifth season of college hoops. Then on Saturday, Mitchell committed to the Wildcats, a team Missouri is slated to face Jan. 9, 2027, at Mizzou Arena.

Mallory Pool/Missourian

Former Mizzou forward Mark Mitchell will be joining the Kentucky Wildcats for the 2026 season after committing Saturday, first reported by Joe Tipton at On3.

This comes after a Kentucky judge granted Mitchell a fifth season of eligibility Friday. The forward then entered the transfer portal later that day with a “Do Not Contact” tag.

Kentucky pursued Mitchell in decisive and lucrative fashion. There is a belief among some people with knowledge of Mitchell’s options that the Wildcats will be making him one of the highest-paid players in all of college basketball this season, with somewhere around $6 million on offer in Lexington.

Mitchell was already eligible to return to Mizzou for the 2026-27 season after a sweeping federal court order in Colorado made it possible for all athletes in the high school recruiting class of 2022 to play a fifth year. That order — since rescinded by another federal court — only allowed those players to return to the schools they’d previously been playing for unless they had already entered the transfer portal.

The order granted in a Louisville courtroom Friday morning, however, specifically allowed Mitchell and the nine other players involved in the same case to enter the portal.

With the Colorado injunction stayed, the Kentucky case is also key in that it allows Mitchell to return to college hoops.

Mitchell averaged 18.3 points and 5.2 rebounds per game this past season for MU. He played two seasons in black and gold after starting his career at Duke.

Mizzou expressed some interest in bringing back the All-Southeastern Conference forward for one more season, but in the three weeks since the Colorado court order restored Mitchell’s eligibility, there was little substantive traction toward a return.

Mitchell was not considered to be a stellar NBA prospect — he played for the Denver Nuggets’ Summer League team but failed to sign a pro contract for the upcoming season.

However, there is still some uncertainty around whether he’ll actually be able to play this season. Class of 2022 athletes are currently eligible to play under layers of temporary court orders blocking the NCAA from enforcing its new age-based eligibility rules. Those orders could be modified or removed before the college basketball season ends in March, and the SEC may look to weigh in on the matter as well.

There’s the matter of SEC commissioner Greg Sankey, too, who has publicly opposed the type of move Mitchell made in transferring to Kentucky.

If Mitchell gets the chance to play in Mizzou Arena one more time, he will be wearing blue and white. Kentucky is slated to take on Missouri on Jan. 9, 2027.

The Missourian contributed to this report.