A federal court ruling on Friday dealt a significant blow to the NCAA's new eligibility rule, with U.S. District Judge Charlotte Sweeney in Denver granting a preliminary injunction allowing all high school class of 2022 athletes to pursue a fifth season of college eligibility. The ruling, expected to be appealed, undermines the NCAA's "five-for-five" policy set to begin with the fall 2027 enrollment class. Judge Sweeney determined that athletes would suffer irreparable harm without the injunction and rejected the NCAA's argument that extending eligibility retroactively would cause "roster chaos." The decision could impact rosters nationwide, including undrafted NFL hopefuls returning to college.

NCAA President Charlie Baker responded by urging Congress to pass legislation providing antitrust protection on eligibility matters, stating the rulings highlight the need for legislative action. The Colorado ruling follows a similar decision earlier Friday from a Tennessee court, which granted Jalen Washington and 18 other basketball players an additional season. The Colorado case went further by certifying a class of all Division I athletes who began their college careers during the 2022-23 academic year, rather than limiting relief to specific individuals.