A federal court in Denver dealt a major blow to the NCAA's new eligibility rule, ruling that all high school class of 2022 athletes who exhausted their fourth season are eligible for a fifth season. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Associated Press.
The ruling by U.S. District Judge Charlotte Sweeney contradicts the NCAA's plan to implement the so-called "five for five" rule starting with athletes enrolling in college in fall 2027. It could wreak havoc on rosters across the country, for instance, opening the possibility that an undrafted player in an NFL training camp could decide to return to college for a fifth year.
In granting the preliminary injunction, Sweeney said the players "will suffer irreparable harm without" it. She did not agree with the NCAA's argument that applying the new rule retroactively would create "roster chaos."
NCAA President Charlie Baker responded by referencing a bill in Congress designed to provide antitrust protection: "Today's rulings and the chaos they bring to college sports are exactly why it's time to pass this bill."
The Colorado ruling came hours after a Tennessee court granted Jalen Washington and 18 other basketball players a fifth season. In June, the NCAA approved a new eligibility model for Division I athletes allowing five seasons of competition over a five-year period beginning with full-time enrollment or the academic year following their 19th birthday.
While the Tennessee ruling applied to those 19 basketball players, the Colorado ruling cast a wider net, applying to all Division I players who started their college careers in the 2022-23 season.