丹佛联邦法官Charlotte Sweeney裁定，2022届高中运动员若已用尽第四个赛季资格，可在本学年获得第五个赛季参赛权[1]。这一裁决对NCAA计划中的新资格规则造成重大打击。NCAA于今年6月批准了新的资格模型，规定允许运动员在五年内参赛五个赛季，该政策原定从2027年秋季入学的运动员开始执行[1]。
此前，田纳西州法院已为Jalen Washington及其他18名篮球选手授予第五赛季资格[1]。NCAA主席Charlie Baker对这些裁决表示担忧，称该判决会给大学体育带来"混乱"，并呼吁国会通过相关法案[1]。
A federal judge in Denver ruled Friday that athletes from the class of 2022 who have exhausted their fourth season of eligibility are entitled to compete in a fifth season during the current academic year [1]. The decision represents a significant setback for the NCAA's new "five-for-five" eligibility framework, which was approved by the organization in June and permits athletes to compete in five seasons within a five-year span [1].
The ruling follows a separate Tennessee court decision that granted fifth-season eligibility to 19 basketball players, including Vanderbilt University's Jalen Washington [1]. Federal Judge Charlotte Sweeney determined that the class of 2022 athletes in question qualify for the additional season under applicable regulations [1]. The NCAA had planned to implement the new eligibility model beginning with students entering in fall 2027 [1].
NCAA President Charlie Baker characterized the court decision as creating "chaos" for college athletics and called on Congress to enact legislation addressing the matter [1].