Court Blocks NCAA From Enforcing Eligibility on 38 Athletes — SkimNews
Get the Sports newsletter
Daily sports — scores, transfers, the storylines from the leagues you actually follow. Free.
- Kentucky Court of Appeals denied the NCAA's emergency request to block a lower court's injunction, allowing 38 athletes to compete during the 2026-27 season
- Judge Sara Walter Combs ruled the NCAA failed to demonstrate 'imminent, ruinous, and incalculable injury' if athletes remain eligible during appeal
- 38 student-athletes from the Class of 2022, including Texas Tech QB Thomas Castellanos and LSU's Skyy Clark, will retain eligibility pending further review
- The NCAA argued that allowing the athletes to play would give their schools an unfair competitive advantage that cannot be undone if later ruled ineligible
- Judge Combs emphasized that repeated changes to athletes' eligibility status 'behoves no one' as the legal process unfolds
- The case centers on the NCAA's new five-for-five rule, which denied an extra season of eligibility to the affected athletes
Why it matters: The ruling preserves immediate playing rights for 38 athletes across major programs, including key players like Castellanos and Clark. If upheld, it could force the NCAA to revise its eligibility framework, altering roster planning for dozens of schools ahead of the 2026-27 season.
Ask SkimNews
