A federal judge in Louisiana has granted a temporary restraining order that allows a group of former college football players—several of whom are currently on NFL rosters—to return to their college teams for another season, at least for now. The ruling, issued Wednesday, is the latest twist in a legal battle over NCAA eligibility rules, and it has drawn sharp criticism from the organization, which warns that such decisions could upend the structure of college sports.
The case stems from a lawsuit filed by 16 former college players, along with other athletes, against the NCAA in Louisiana. At the heart of the dispute is a change the NCAA made to its eligibility rules, allowing athletes to compete for five seasons within a five-year period, rather than the previous four seasons in five years. But players who had already completed their fourth season under the old rules were not automatically granted the chance to return for a fifth year. That group, which includes several players who signed professional contracts, argues they should be allowed to use that extra season.
The temporary restraining order prevents the NCAA from enforcing restrictions that would otherwise block these players from entering the transfer portal or returning to college after signing with professional teams. The order, however, is not a final resolution. The players’ long-term eligibility will depend on the outcome of the litigation, which is ongoing.
NCAA: Ruling ‘Destabilizing’
NCAA senior vice president Tim Buckley did not mince words in reacting to the court’s decision. In a statement, he said that courts across the country are “granting relief to ineligible athletes who already had every opportunity to compete in college—sometimes without even having a hearing—and are failing to appreciate the destabilizing effect their rulings are having on college sports.”
Buckley went further, suggesting that the lawyers filing these cases “seemingly won’t be satisfied until every professional athlete can treat college sports as a fallback option, regardless of the opportunities it strips from those who will never have a chance to begin their collegiate sports experience.”
The NCAA’s concerns are not unfounded, at least from a competitive and logistical standpoint. If the NFL rookies named in the lawsuit are released from their professional teams by September 1, they could, in theory, be back on college football fields this fall.
Who Are the Players?
The list of plaintiffs includes three former starters from Ole Miss who signed with NFL teams this summer, though several have expressed interest in being released from their contracts to return to college. One of them is Dae’Quan Wright, currently on the Cleveland Browns’ roster after being waived by the Philadelphia Eagles. Another is Wydett Williams, who is with the Arizona Cardinals. A third, Zxavian Harris, was waived by the New Orleans Saints earlier this month and is not on an NFL roster.
Other notable names include former LSU edge rusher Jack Pyburn, who is on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers; South Carolina safety DQ Smith, waived by the Denver Broncos in May; James Madison linebacker Trent Hendrick; and Notre Dame defensive lineman Junior Tuihalamaka. Hendrick and Tuihalamaka are not currently on NFL rosters.
The NIL Factor
One clear incentive for these players to return to college is the money now available through name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals. While individual NIL earnings are rarely disclosed publicly, an NIL payout for a starting player at Ole Miss can range from $150,000 to more than $5 million, according to the report. College athletes have been able to profit from their NIL since 2021, which has fundamentally changed the calculus for players deciding between staying in school and turning pro.
For players who may not have secured lucrative NFL contracts—or who have been cut—returning to college could offer both a chance to continue playing and a financial windfall through NIL. The temporary restraining order gives them that opening, even if it is only for now.
The NCAA’s criticism reflects a broader anxiety about the legal landscape surrounding college athletics. This case is just one of several court rulings that have chipped away at the NCAA’s authority over eligibility and player movement. The organization has repeatedly warned that such rulings could lead to chaos, with colleges and universities facing uncertainty about who will be on their rosters from one season to the next.
For the players, however, the ruling is a win—at least in the short term. They have been given the chance to compete, which is ultimately what they say they want. Whether they will get to keep that chance will depend on how the case unfolds in the courts.
Source: www.dailywire.com — https://www.dailywire.com/news/controversy-erupts-as-nfl-players-allowed-to-return-to-college-football