Eleven Division I athletes sue NCAA over new eligibility rules

Eleven Division I athletes filed a federal class action lawsuit in Colorado challenging the NCAA's new eligibility rules. The complaint alleges the rules arbitrarily exclude athletes who completed four years of eligibility in the 2025-26 academic year from an extra season of competition and associated NIL opportunities.

The NCAA announced the five-year eligibility rule on June 24, 2026. The policy grants athletes five years to compete but does not extend eligibility to those who exhausted their seasons before the change took effect.

The new rules eliminate most waivers and redshirts, and the eligibility clock for international players begins upon college enrollment or the semester after they turn 19. If the Colorado court grants the requested relief, affected athletes could enter the transfer portal and compete in the upcoming season.

A ruling against the plaintiffs would reinforce the NCAA's position amid multiple state-level challenges to the eligibility framework. "Plaintiffs are a talented group of NCAA Division I collegiate athletes and students who come to this Court as a last resort and as a direct result of the NCAA's unlawful action in implementing a new eligibility rule on June 24, 2026," the complaint states.