A federal judge granted a class-wide preliminary injunction Friday requiring the NCAA to make eligible athletes who graduated high school in 2022 and exhausted their four years of eligibility this spring.
Issued by Judge Charlotte Sweeney in the U.S. District Court of Colorado, the order follows multiple NCAA losses in state courts after athletes challenged the application of an age-based eligibility policy the organization adopted in June.
Colloquially known as the "five-for-five" rule, the change allows athletes five years to play five seasons starting with their full-time enrollment or the season after their 19th birthday, whichever comes first. The new policy eliminates redshirts, giving athletes the chance to play the maximum number of games in any of their eligible seasons without penalty.
But while the five-for-five rule has received support from coaches, the NCAA has recently been subject to legal challenges over its application of the policy. Notably, athletes who graduated high school in 2022 and exhausted their eligibility this year were not allotted fifth years, with the NCAA claiming their presence could "destabilize" rosters.
Dozens of class of 2022 athletes have since been granted injunctive relief in state courts, allowing players such as former New Mexico forward Filip Borovicanin to return for a fifth year. Sweeney's class-wide injunction took it a step forward, opening the door for hundreds — perhaps thousands — of athletes to return for a fifth year across all NCAA-sanctioned sports.
#class
Issued by Judge Charlotte Sweeney in the U.S. District Court of Colorado, the order follows multiple NCAA losses in state courts after athletes challenged the application of an age-based eligibility policy the organization adopted in June.
Colloquially known as the "five-for-five" rule, the change allows athletes five years to play five seasons starting with their full-time enrollment or the season after their 19th birthday, whichever comes first. The new policy eliminates redshirts, giving athletes the chance to play the maximum number of games in any of their eligible seasons without penalty.
But while the five-for-five rule has received support from coaches, the NCAA has recently been subject to legal challenges over its application of the policy. Notably, athletes who graduated high school in 2022 and exhausted their eligibility this year were not allotted fifth years, with the NCAA claiming their presence could "destabilize" rosters.
Dozens of class of 2022 athletes have since been granted injunctive relief in state courts, allowing players such as former New Mexico forward Filip Borovicanin to return for a fifth year. Sweeney's class-wide injunction took it a step forward, opening the door for hundreds — perhaps thousands — of athletes to return for a fifth year across all NCAA-sanctioned sports.
#class
2 days ago
