Judge clarifies NCAA eligibility order, which could blunt its impact on new ‘5 for 5“ rule

Footballs rest on the field in the second half of an NCAA college football game Nov. 28, 2020, in Boulder, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File) Updated [hour]:[minute] [AMPM] [timezone], [monthFull] [day], [year] Denver (AP) — The judge who granted the right to play another year of college sports to some athletes whose eligibility ran out last school year issued a new order Sunday that makes clear that does not include football players who signed pro contracts this summer then had a change of heart. U.S. District Judge Charlotte Sweeney responded to an NCAA request for clarity about her Friday ruling that granted a fifth year to athletes who graduated high school in 2022 and were not included in the new NCAA rule that allows five seasons of eligibility for Division I players. That decision, she said, still stands, but has no impact on other NCAA rules, including its prohibition on players signing pro contracts, then coming back to college. The ruling, as first written, had the potential to upend the upcoming college football season, where teams are starting camp planning on the so-called “five for five” rule to take effect beginning next fall. Extending it to players this fall granted hundreds a chance to return to school. In the direct aftermath of the decision, some media reports were listing players on NFL and CFL rosters who were signaling they’d be open to returning to school.But that appears to be off the table after Sweeney’s clarification that said there are no changes to the NCAA’s rules regarding pros; no exceptions over when athletes can enter the transfer portal; and no impact on elements of the landmark House lawsuit settlement, which dictates how many players teams can put on rosters and how much schools can pay them. The rulings out of U.S. District Court in Denver figures to impact sports differently. Football teams, for instance, have already started practice for this season, while baseball doesn’t start for a while. In making decisions, teams figure to factor the NCAA’s coming appeal of Sweeney’s order and whether to risk bringing back players who could then be declared ineligible if her decision is overturned. NCAA President Charlie Baker issued a statement after Sweeney’s initial ruling came out Friday, saying the ruling was potentially chaos-inducing and a reason Congress needs to pass the Protect College Sports Act. That bill, being considered in the Senate, includes lawsuit protection for the NCAA over eligibility rules, the likes of which they defending in several courts around the country.