Key facts
- An Ohio judge will rule on July 9 regarding a preliminary injunction request in a lawsuit against the NCAA.
- The lawsuit, filed by 24 college basketball players, challenges the NCAA's new age-based eligibility rules.
- Plaintiffs argue the new rules unfairly prevent them from competing for a fifth year.
- The NCAA's new eligibility model allows five seasons of competition over a five-year period.
- Waivers for extended eligibility will be largely eliminated, except for specific circumstances like religious missions or military service.
An Ohio judge is set to rule next week on a preliminary injunction request filed by 24 college basketball players challenging the NCAA's new age-eligibility rules. Judge Christopher Wagner announced Wednesday that his written order will be issued on July 9.
The lawsuit contends that the NCAA's recently approved change, which limits athletes to five seasons of competition within a five-year period, unfairly excludes players who began their college careers in the fall of 2022 and did not redshirt. The plaintiffs are seeking eligibility for a fifth year of competition during the upcoming season.
Attorneys for the players argued that each plaintiff was harmed by competing against fifth or sixth-year players without being offered the same opportunity. The NCAA, in its filing, stated that these athletes had reason to believe their eligibility was concluding after their fourth season.
The new NCAA Division I rules, effective this fall, will largely eliminate waivers for extended eligibility, reserving them only for specific circumstances such as religious missions, pregnancy, or active-duty military service. Injuries will no longer be a basis for extensions.
The NCAA has acknowledged the legal challenges but stated it does not intend to alter its course.