Tomislav Ivisic, the Illinois center signee from Croatia, has agreed to give up a year of eligibility and pay an undisclosed amount of money to a charity in order to play immediately.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Tomislav Ivisic will be eligible to play in every game for Illinois during the 2024-25 season.

The 7-foot center from Vodice, Croatia announced on Thursday evening via social media he was granted immediate clearance by the NCAA Eligibility Center. Ivisic, who verbally committed to Illinois in May after playing three seasons with SC Derby in Podgorica, Montenegro, a professional basketball club of the Adriatic League First Division, was given clearance after negotiations with the University of Illinois athletics compliance office and the NCAA Eligibility Center ended with two compromises to preserve Ivisic’s ability to play college basketball.

First, the NCAA Eligibility Center is requiring Ivisic to make an undisclosed financial repayment of the salary he earned from playing for SC Derby in a donation to a charity of his choice. Second, Ivisic agreed to lose a year of his eligibility because of his participation in an overseas professional league and will be classified as a sophomore with three years of college basketball eligibility remaining.

“We appreciate the NCAA for its diligence, the great work done by our compliance staff, and the communication and cooperation between all parties throughout this process,” Illinois head coach Brad Underwood said via a statement in a university media release. "We are happy for Tomislav that his status has been resolved favorably. He is thrilled to be able to take the court and compete with his teammates. Now that this is behind us, we can move forward and focus on the task at hand, and that's preparing for the season.”

The 21-year-old center has a twin brother, Zvonimir, playing at Arkansas after beginning his collegiate career at Kentucky last season and was considered a top international signee of Illini assistant coach Orlando Antigua after he returned to Underwood’s staff this past fall. Tomislav Ivisic averaged a double-double of 10.9 points and 9.6 rebounds and adding 2.4 assists per contest while shooting 42 percent from the field and 74 percent from the free-throw line in the 2019 Under-16 European Championships.

 Zvonimir Ivisic was not deemed eligible to play by the NCAA Eligibility Center until Kentucky had played 16 previous games and he made his college basketball debut on Jan. 20, 2024, against Georgia with 13 points, five rebounds, two assists, three blocks and two steals in 16 minutes during a 105–96 win.

After being granted clearance to play in the Illini’s 91-74 exhibition game loss at Mississippi on Oct. 27, Tomislav Ivisic started that contest and posted 12 points, six rebounds, two assists and connected on two three-pointers in 24 minutes of action.

Illinois will open the 2024-25 season on Monday night at State Farm Center against Eastern Illinois with a 7 p.m. CST tip with the only television coverage being on Big Ten Network-Plus.