Kentucky Players Ask Judge to Restore Fifth NCAA Year for Class of 2022

Overview

• On Friday, Aug. 14, a group of 10 then later 13 class-of-2022 athletes filed suit in Jefferson County, Kentucky, seeking a temporary injunction to immediately regain a fifth year of NCAA eligibility.
• The lawsuit says the NCAA’s exclusion of the 2022 high‑school cohort breaks the covenant of good faith and violates Kentucky consumer‑protection law and seeks permission to sign scholarships and revenue‑sharing agreements.
• Federal judges in Colorado and state courts around the country have issued temporary orders restoring extra eligibility to many 2022 entrants, and the Colorado decision is now before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit.
• Even where courts grant eligibility, schools and players face real obstacles such as existing 105‑player roster caps, NCAA transfer‑contact rules that bar coaches from talking to some athletes, and the risk that players who signed pro deals would have to repay earnings.
• The Jefferson County judge said a decision will come by the end of next week, a ruling that could immediately change which athletes can transfer, sign NIL deals, and play in the coming season.