Federal Judge's Ruling Grants Class of 2022 Athletes Fifth Year of Eligibility

U.S. District Court Judge Charlotte Sweeney, sitting in Colorado, on Friday granted a class-wide preliminary injunction requiring the NCAA to declare eligible all high school Class of 2022 athletes who exhausted four seasons of eligibility this past spring. The ruling determined that excluding the Class of 2022 from the NCAA's recently adopted five-for-five eligibility model caused 'irreparable harm' to those athletes, effectively extending to them the same opportunity afforded to later classes.

The injunction stems from the NCAA Division I Council's approval earlier this summer of what is widely called the '5-for-5' rule, which grants Division I athletes five years of eligibility to compete in five seasons beginning from their initial full-time college enrollment or their 19th birthday. That policy applied to athletes who graduated high school in 2023 or later, leaving the Class of 2022 without the same benefit — a gap the court moved to close on Friday.

All persons in the United States who began to play in collegiate sports in the 2022-2023 season, competed in NCAA Division I sports, and completed four years of eligibility as defined by the NCAA's prior rules by the conclusion of the 2025-2026 season, and are therefore barred from playing a fifth season due to the NCAA's adoption and immediate implementation of the Five-Year Eligibility Rule.

— Official class certification for Friday's ruling, via On3

Immediate Ripple Effects Across Programs

The ruling immediately set off activity across college football front offices. On3's Pete Nakos reported that programs had already reached out regarding undrafted free agents' ability to potentially return for the 2026 season, with many of those players currently participating in NFL training camps. Among the notable names drawn back into eligibility discussions is former Florida State quarterback Thomas Castellanos, who went undrafted in the 2026 NFL Draft and attended two NFL minicamps as a wide receiver. Nakos reported Castellanos is 'open' to returning to college football, either as a quarterback or as an athlete, with multiple programs already expressing interest through his agent. A return to Florida State appears unlikely given the Seminoles' crowded quarterback room, meaning Castellanos would likely enter the transfer portal for a fourth college stop.

At Texas A&M, former starting running back Le'Veon Moss, versatile safety Jared Kerr, and tight end Amari Niblack — all undrafted in April — gained a theoretical fifth year under the ruling. On the basketball side, guards Rylan Griffen and Jacari Lane are among those who could return, while five Aggie baseball players also gained an extra year of eligibility, though Jake Duer has already signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The NCAA is expected to challenge the decision, leaving the eligibility status of Class of 2022 athletes unresolved heading into the fall. The injunction nonetheless set off a secondary wave of roster uncertainty, as programs that had already finalized their 2026 rosters now face potential competition from returning fifth-year players entering the transfer portal. Incoming freshmen and current scholarship holders at multiple schools could see their standing affected before the situation is settled.