A Kentucky Court of Appeals judge denied the NCAA emergency relief Friday, allowing 38 student-athletes to compete during the 2026-27 season. The ruling upholds a lower court's temporary injunction granted on Oct. 16 for members of the graduating Class of 2022 denied an extra season under the NCAA's new five-for-five rule. The case remains active as a three-judge panel considers the NCAA's request for relief.
Affected athletes include Texas Tech quarterback Thomas Castellanos, Louisville football players Jabari Mack and Kalib Perry, and men's basketball players Seth Trimble and LJ Wells. Judge Sara Walter Combs wrote that the NCAA failed to prove 'imminent, ruinous, and incalculable injury' and stated it 'behooves no one' for eligibility status to flip-flop. The NCAA argued that even a 'small handful of regular season wins' creates an unfair competitive advantage.
Other affected players include Missouri's Mark Mitchell Jr., Kentucky's Alex Afari Jr., and LSU's Skyy Clark.
Source: ESPN General · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing