The NCAA is appealing a Mississippi court ruling that granted Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss a sixth year of eligibility for the 2026 season. The organization filed a 658-page appeal with the Mississippi Supreme Court, arguing that the preliminary injunction granted by a local judge in February threatens the NCAA's authority over eligibility decisions.

Chambliss, who transferred from Division II Ferris State and won SEC Newcomer of the Year in 2025, was granted the extra year after a judge ruled the NCAA ignored medical documentation showing he was not ready to play during his second season at Ferris State. The NCAA contends that courts should not intervene in eligibility decisions, citing a 2015 Mississippi Supreme Court case involving a high school athletic association that established such rulings fall outside state court jurisdiction.

The appeal comes as Chambliss was poised to be one of college football's most prominent players in 2026. His unexpected rise from obscurity has been one of the sport's most compelling storylines, and the court's initial ruling was viewed as potentially reshaping the SEC race. The NCAA's challenge to this precedent-setting decision will have significant implications for how eligibility cases are handled in the future.