A recent ruling by the Tenth Circuit Court has temporarily paused the NCAA’s provision granting a fifth year of eligibility to athletes from the 2022 freshman class who have already completed four years of play. This decision reverses a July 31 injunction by Colorado district judge Charlotte Sweeney that had allowed those athletes an extra year. With the stay now in effect pending the appeal process, which could extend over weeks or months, many fall sports athletes who had planned to use this additional eligibility are currently sidelined as they await a final legal outcome.

This court action primarily impacts fall sports athletes, including football players who had recently secured roster spots under the initial injunction but now face suspension until the appeals are resolved. However, players involved in separate state court lawsuits may still compete if their state judges allow it. For example, a Louisiana judge recently permitted 16 football players participating in NFL preseason activities to return to college play. This highlights the fragmented and evolving legal landscape surrounding eligibility rules for the 2022 class.

The eligibility dispute traces back to the NCAA’s introduction of a new “age-based” policy in June, which grants five years to complete five seasons of play, effective from age 19 or college start. The NCAA did not grandfather the 2022 class into this model, prompting lawsuits from players denied a fifth year. While some state-level lawsuits granted individual injunctions, the federal class action in Colorado sought and initially secured a broad injunction applicable to all Division I athletes. The NCAA has since committed to fighting all injunctions vigorously, arguing that the expanded eligibility harms athletes and schools nationwide.

NCAA Chief Legal Officer Scott Bearby confirmed the organization’s return to previous eligibility rules while allowing that players who competed under the original injunction won’t cause program violations if now declared ineligible. Meanwhile, concerns have emerged over possible postseason repercussions for teams fielding athletes from these cases, though NCAA officials stressed such eligibility decisions fall outside tournament selection committees’ authority. The case underscores ongoing tensions as courts, players, and the NCAA navigate eligibility rights in college sports.