Ohio judge blocks NCAA eligibility rule for college basketball players

U.S. District Judge Christopher Wagner in Ohio granted a preliminary injunction that allows 15‑24 Division I basketball players to return for a fifth season of competition. The athletes argue that the NCAA’s new age‑based eligibility model – which provides five seasons of play within a five‑year window that starts with either full‑time enrollment or the academic year after a player turns 19 – arbitrarily excludes those who graduated high school in 2022.

Attorney Ryan Downton, representing the plaintiffs, said the rule "shuts them out of further competition" and would cause "irreparable injury" without relief. Wagner agreed, finding that the plaintiffs would suffer such injury if the injunction were not granted. The NCAA responded that Congress must act swiftly to restore "stability, uniformity, and fair competition in college athletics," and announced it will appeal the decision.

The injunction follows a broader legal challenge to the NCAA’s rule. On June 25, a class‑action suit filed in the Northern District of Illinois alleged the eligibility changes violate federal antitrust law by restricting athletes’ ability to earn compensation through name, image and likeness deals. The NCAA defends the rule as a simplification intended to reduce disputes and limit the growing use of waivers and redshirt years. The Protect College Sports Act, which could address stability in college sports, has also moved forward in the Senate.