A U.S. district judge who previously allowed certain college athletes to play an additional year after their eligibility ended issued a clarifying order in response to a request from the NCAA. The earlier ruling stemmed from the judge’s decision on Friday to grant a fifth year of eligibility to some Division I athletes who graduated high school in 2022 and were not included in the NCAA’s “5 for 5” policy, which allows five seasons of competition for Division I players.
In the new order issued Sunday, the judge clarifies that the relief described in Friday’s ruling does not extend to football players who signed pro contracts during the summer and later changed course. The NCAA had sought clarification about the scope of the court’s decision, particularly regarding how it applies to specific categories of athletes.
As a result, the clarification is expected to limit the impact of the temporary eligibility access created by the court order, ensuring that it does not cover a subset of football players who had moved from college to professional contracts before returning.
