NCAA plans to appeal federal judge's injunction granting fifth year of eligibility to Class of 2022 student-athletes

Key Points:

• The NCAA's chief legal officer, Scott Bearby, criticized a Colorado federal judge's decision to restore a year of eligibility for student-athletes from the high school class of 2022, calling it "egregiously wrong" and lacking proper legal authority.
• Judge Charlotte Sweeney granted a nationwide injunction despite no hearing or witness testimony, prompting the NCAA to announce plans to appeal and restore the previous eligibility rules to protect current student-athletes.
• NCAA President Charlie Baker also opposed the ruling, warning that reinstating eligibility for an entire class would cause "chaos" and urged Congress to pass the Protect College Sports Act, which has support from the Big Ten and SEC but does not affect ongoing lawsuits.
• A similar injunction was granted in Tennessee for Vanderbilt basketball players, allowing them a fifth year of eligibility and access to the transfer portal, leading to reports of several former college athletes exploring a return to college sports.
• Notable athletes considering renewed eligibility include former NFL minicamp participants like Ohio State kicker Jayden Fielding and Georgia safety JaCorey Thomas, who had previously exhausted their college eligibility.