NCAA faces class-action lawsuit over new five-year eligibility rule

Eleven collegiate athletes representing basketball, baseball and track and field filed a class‑action suit in the U.S. District Court for Colorado, challenging the NCAA’s recently adopted five‑year eligibility window. The plaintiffs argue the rule improperly excludes athletes who exhausted their eligibility for the 2025‑26 season, denying them further competition and Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) opportunities. Named athletes include Minnesota’s Cade Tyson, Northern Colorado’s Brock Wisne, and others from Arizona State, Radford, Cal State, South Florida, Boston College, Penn State, Seattle, Robert Morris and Long Island.

A court ruling could either invalidate the NCAA’s new eligibility framework or reinforce it, with broader implications for ongoing state‑level lawsuits. An Ohio judge recently ruled in favor of 24 athletes in a related case, but the NCAA has said it does not intend to change course.