Overview
- On June 23 the NCAA Division I Cabinet adopted an age-based five-seasons-in-five-years model that starts the eligibility clock at full-time enrollment or the academic year after an athlete turns 19 and removes redshirts and nearly all waivers.
- Hamilton County Judge Christopher Wagner on Thursday, July 9 granted a preliminary injunction for two dozen class-of-2022 athletes, ordering the NCAA to allow them a fifth season and to enter the transfer portal.
- The NCAA said it will seek immediate reversal and appealed the ruling while also raising concerns about the judge’s undisclosed ties to local schools that were involved in the case.
- Several lawsuits are now pending, including a federal antitrust class action, with plaintiffs arguing the rule limits access to NIL and revenue-sharing money and that courts should review the NCAA’s rulemaking.
- The injunction covers only the named plaintiffs and a breach-of-contract claim, which means outcomes could vary by jurisdiction and leave transition deadlines such as the July 31 waiver cutoff in legal limbo.