Overview
- A Louisiana court issued temporary restraining orders that allow 16 plaintiffs who signed with NFL teams to seek a fifth season of college eligibility and to enter the NCAA transfer portal.
- TJ Harden, who went undrafted, was cut by the Cleveland Browns on Aug. 3, signed by the Seattle Seahawks, played in Seattle’s preseason opener, was waived again this month, and now plans to enter the portal under the court relief.
- The legal challenge targets the NCAA’s June decision to set a five-season limit inside a five-year window while excluding some recent cohorts from the new accommodation, which plaintiffs say breached a covenant of good faith.
- Colleges and recruiters may face immediate disruption because late-arriving, experienced players could compete for roster spots and scholarship resources that teams already allocated to incoming freshmen.
- The orders are temporary and the underlying lawsuits remain pending, so the transfers and eligibility decisions could change if the injunctions are overturned or narrowed on appeal.