NCAA Class of 2022 Athletes Granted Fifth Year of Eligibility by Judge

The legal landscape of collegiate sports shifted sharply when U.S. District Court Judge Charlotte N. Sweeney handed down a ruling in Colorado granting a preliminary injunction that gives college athletes from the high school Class of 2022 another year of eligibility for the coming school year. The decision arrived in response to plaintiffs challenging the organization’s newly approved age-based eligibility rule, which had effectively run out the clock on athletes from the Class of 2022 this past spring.

Under previous guidelines, athletes were granted five years to complete four full seasons of competition. The organization’s newly adopted policy established a strict five-year, age-based window to compete while eliminating most waiver exceptions, with an implementation date set for August 1. Athletes who entered college in the 2022–2023 season and completed their fourth year of eligibility under prior rules found themselves barred from returning for a fifth season. Judge Sweeney’s class-wide order mandates that the organization create a blanket waiver for all affected individuals.

State Court Challenges and Legal Strategy Against Roster Limits

Plaintiffs have found notable success challenging eligibility rules in state courts by leveraging contract law claims rather than federal antitrust arguments. The Colorado case specifically named 12 athletes, including former Minnesota basketball player Cade Tyson, but one judge has ordered that all athletes hoping for an additional year are granted that right through the class-wide injunction.

This action parallels separate legal battles initiated across the country. The first lawsuit was filed in Ohio state court by 15 men’s basketball players less than 24 hours after the rule change was announced. A judge there granted an injunction in early July, clearing the way for those players to transfer if their previous institutions could not absorb them back onto the roster. A separate case filed by the same legal team in Tennessee secured an injunction for additional players, including Vanderbilt’s Jalen Washington and Ole Miss guard AJ Storr.

Meanwhile, in Texas, former Longhorns offensive lineman Cole Hutson received a temporary restraining order from a judge in Travis County after going through rookie minicamps with the Browns and Steelers as an undrafted free agent. While an injunction hearing remains pending in that matter, the legal maneuvering leaves open the possibility of Hutson returning to the University of Texas.

NCAA Approves New Five-Year Eligibility Rule Eliminating Redshirt Seasons

NCAA Leadership Response and Congressional Appeals

The swift succession of judicial setbacks prompted an immediate response from leadership in Indianapolis. Following the rulings, NCAA President Charlie Baker released a statement calling on Congress to pass the Protect College Sports Act, arguing that nationwide governance is impossible without targeted federal intervention.

“Without targeted intervention from Congress, college sports cannot set nationwide rules everyone can play by and without Congress, failed professionals will continue to use college sports as a fallback option — robbing the next class of young athletes of college scholarships. Today’s rulings and the chaos they bring to college sports are exactly why it’s time to pass this bill.”

Charlie Baker, NCAA President

Attorneys representing the plaintiffs fired back immediately at Baker’s remarks. In a lengthy statement released Friday night, legal counsel argued that the courtroom battles were entirely self-inflicted by the organization’s sudden regulatory overhaul. Legal experts anticipate an immediate challenge. Sam Ehrlich, a former lawyer and professor at Boise State who tracks the litigation, noted that an appeal to the Tenth Circuit is expected without delay.

Compliance Scramble and Roster Management Across Campuses

With preseason football practices approaching and basketball rosters largely finalized, athletic departments face severe logistical hurdles. Most coaching staffs built their rosters and allocated their name, image, and likeness funds months ago under the assumption that 2022-cohort players would not return. However, compliance departments are actively evaluating how the rulings affect undrafted players and athletes seeking a path back to school.

Polling of 25 high-major basketball coaches at Nike’s EYBL Peach Jam event revealed starkly divided opinions on how to handle the sudden influx of eligible talent. While the vast majority had closed their books for the upcoming cycle, select programs intentionally kept roster spots open precisely to account for potential legal victories by the Class of 2022.

Uncertainty also surrounds unique individual waiver disputes, such as the case of Tennessee linebacker Arion Carter. Carter declared for the NFL Draft following the 2025 season but suffered an injury weeks later, prompting him to seek a return to college. Although the NCAA reduced an initial three-game suspension down to two games, rules regarding agent representation and training expenses continue to complicate individual eligibility restorations.