First lawsuit challenging new NCAA eligibility rules filed in Ohio

A Hamilton County judge will decide whether to allow a fifth year of eligibility for some college athletes, including two who played on Xavier University’s men’s basketball team and two who hope to play this season for the University of Cincinnati.

The four are among 15 college basketball players who are part of a lawsuit filed June 24, seeking to prevent the NCAA from enforcing new rules it approved the previous day. The NCAA described it as a “sweeping overhaul” of its eligibility rules.

Xavier Musketeers forward Filip Borovicanin makes a layup during a game on Dec. 1, 2025.

Division I college athletes now will be allowed to compete in five seasons over five years. Previously, athletes could play four seasons within five years and were allowed to sit out for a “redshirt” year.

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Attorneys for the 15 players are seeking an injunction that would block the NCAA from preventing them from playing during the 2026-27 season.

Ryan Downton of The Texas Trial Group, who is heading the litigation, said the Hamilton County lawsuit is the first of five he expects to file in different states surrounding the issue.

Common Pleas Judge Chris Wagner held a hearing on June 24, at which attorneys for the parties appeared by video. Wagner scheduled a full hearing about an injunction for July 1.

An attorney for the athletes, Charlie Rittgers, told Wagner that an injunction is important so the players can begin practicing with their teams.

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“The players have been counting on this for years,” Rittgers said.

What the lawsuit alleges

The lawsuit says that the rule unfairly excludes athletes who graduated from high school in 2022, even though those athletes are within five years of enrolling in college for the first time.

That means athletes who used their final season of eligibility in 2025-26 will not receive additional eligibility.

“At the end of their college careers, the NCAA made the fifth season of competition a permanent rule change – but excluded their…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/first-lawsuit-challenging-ncaa-eligibility-224547096.html

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Publish date : 2026-06-24 22:45:00

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