Updated

Updated · ESPN · Jun 24

Judge Denies 15 Players' NCAA Eligibility Bid as 2022 Graduates Challenge 5-for-5 Rule

Updated

Updated · ESPN · Jun 24

Judge Denies 15 Players' NCAA Eligibility Bid as 2022 Graduates Challenge 5-for-5 Rule

Q: Why is the NCAA's new five-year rule excluding one specific class of senior athletes?

The NCAA’s new five-year rule excludes this class of senior athletes because the policy is being applied prospectively, not retroactively. Under the new “five-for-five” or age-based model, athletes can compete for five seasons within a five-year window, but the NCAA drew a cutoff: players who had already completed their fourth season by spring 2026 do not get an extra year. That mainly affects current seniors from the high school class of 2022 who used four seasons without redshirting. By contrast, athletes who still have eligibility left after the 2025-26 academic year, along with some incoming 2026-27 enrollees and future recruits, can benefit from the new framework or choose whichever system is more favorable. The NCAA’s aim is to simplify eligibility rules going forward and reduce waivers and litigation, but the transition line leaves one narrow cohort outside the change. That is why the plaintiffs say they were singled out. Their argument is that older athletes before them received COVID-era eligibility relief, and younger athletes after them will benefit from the new five-year model, while their class alone is denied both. In practical terms, they say the rule shuts them out of another season just as schools can now offer scholarship, revenue-sharing and NIL opportunities that were not available to the same extent earlier in their careers.

3 articles · Updated · ESPN · Jun 24

Hours after 15 college basketball players sued in Ohio, a judge denied their temporary restraining order and set a preliminary-injunction hearing for next Wednesday.
The suit targets the NCAA's new five-seasons-in-five-years model, which starts with full-time enrollment or the academic year after an athlete's 19th birthday and bars a fifth season for players whose eligibility expired by spring 2026.
The plaintiffs — 2022 high school graduates who never redshirted — say the rule unfairly denies them NIL earning opportunities while athletes from other classes and some former professionals can still get an extra year.
The NCAA said it will not change course, arguing retroactive relief would destabilize rosters before the coming season and disrupt expected spots and playing time, including for incoming freshmen.
Nine plaintiffs have played or planned to play at Ohio schools, and attorneys expect similar lawsuits in other states as the rule takes effect this fall.

Sources

ESPN1h ago

NCAA Sued by 15 College Basketball Players Over New Eligibility Rule for 2022 Graduates

Sports Illustrated9h ago

Potential Cincinnati Bearcats Basketball Transfer Additions File Lawsuit to Play One More Season

Yahoo Sports10h ago

Potential Cincinnati Bearcats Basketball Transfer Additions File Lawsuit to Play One More Season - Yahoo Sports

7 Sources

Why is the NCAA's new five-year rule excluding one specific class of senior athletes?

As athletes sue for more playing years, is the NCAA's amateur model officially dead?

NCAA Faces Legal Crisis: 15 Division I Athletes Sue Over 2026 Eligibility Rule Excluding Class of 2022

Overview

In June 2026, 15 Division I basketball players sued the NCAA over its new age-based eligibility model, which excludes the high school class of 2022 from receiving an extra season of competition. The athletes argue this exclusion is unfair and a breach of contract, especially since similar waivers were granted during the pandemic. Their lawsuit seeks an injunction to let them play in the 2026-27 season, prevent penalties for schools that sign them, and allow transfers without using the portal. This legal challenge highlights growing disputes over NCAA rules and the urgent impact on athletes’ careers and opportunities.

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