Thousands of athletes from the freshman class of 2022 won’t be eligible for a fifth year of NCAA sports—for the time being, according to a new federal court ruling.
On Friday, the Tenth Circuit Court ruled to stay the eligibility injunction granted on July 31 by Colorado district court judge Charlotte Sweeney, which allowed a fifth year of eligibility for players who entered college in 2022 but who had already completed four years of eligibility. Now, their extra year of eligibility has been temporarily suspended until the court reaches a final decision on the appeal, which could take weeks or months.
The decision will mostly affect fall sports athletes, who had just a few weeks to find a roster spot for this upcoming season. Several football players across the country have already done so. Now, they’ll be sidelined at least until the appeals court rules.
“The Tenth Circuit’s stay is a temporary procedural ruling, not a decision on the merits of the athletes’ antitrust claims or their right to recover treble damages if they are not allowed to compete this year,” plaintiff attorney Rob Shelquist said in a statement to Front Office Sports. He added that not all three of the judges involved agreed with the ruling: “We are exploring every available option given the split in the panel’s ruling and remain committed to fighting for these college athletes whose opportunities and eligibility have been unfairly restricted.”
