The trial court giveth. The appeals court taketh away.
The recent ruling from a federal court in Colorado that opened the door for first-year NFL players to gain a fifth year of college eligibility has been limited by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit.
Via Austin Massey of ScarletAndBlackInsider.com, the nationwide injunction has been stayed pending a full appeal.
What this means for other rulings from other cases remains to be seen. Earlier this week, a Louisiana judge granted a temporary restraining order regarding efforts by former college athletes to return for another season. At least one current NFL player has since entered the transfer portal.
The situation flows from the NCAA’s adoption of five years as the standard amount of eligibility. Those who used only four years have argued that the fifth year should apply to them retroactively.
The latest ruling only adds to the chaos that has been complicated by college programs laying the foundation to lure first-year NFL players back to school for another season. The systems want long-term order; the coaches want short-term wins.
For now, no one knows how it’s all going to play out. And the 2026 college football season starts in only nine days.
