Overview
- A federal judge in Colorado granted Class of 2022 athletes an extra year of Division I eligibility, and the court excluded players who signed professional contracts, with the decision reported Monday by multiple outlets.
- Arizona announced that running back Ismail Mahdi and linebacker Max Harris have been added back to the team's preseason activities and roster integration this week.
- Mahdi was the Wildcats’ leading rusher last season with about 853–859 yards and four touchdowns, and Harris finished last season with 78 tackles and All-Big 12 honorable mention honors, signaling immediate on-field impact if cleared to play.
- The NCAA has said it will appeal the court rulings, leaving final eligibility outcomes, scholarship counts and playing status in flux as schools and athletes wait for further legal decisions.
- The dispute grew out of the NCAA’s June five-for-five policy, which allows five seasons of competition within five years and was to start in fall 2027, and the litigation will determine whether that policy applies retroactively to the 2022 cohort.