Judge Carves Pro-Contract Players Out of Eligibility Injunction as Programs Scramble

The federal judge who on Friday granted an extra year of eligibility to Class of 2022 athletes whose college careers ended during the 2025-26 academic year issued a new order Sunday making clear the ruling does not extend to football players who signed professional contracts over the summer. The clarification came as programs across the country were still scrambling to determine which former players might qualify to return under the original injunction.

The Friday rulings effectively returned an entire incoming class of athletes to the collegiate player pool, creating what observers have described as legal chaos across multiple sports. The caveat noted by analysts is significant: the courts could reverse their decision at any time, leaving programs reluctant to make firm roster commitments based on the injunction alone.

Sanders Shuts Door on Former Buffaloes

At Colorado's first team meeting of the 2026 season, head coach Deion Sanders addressed the situation directly and ruled out welcoming back any former Buffaloes who might otherwise qualify under the ruling. Sanders said the coaching staff is still working through the legal details, but made plain that academic standing would disqualify several former players regardless of their eligibility status under the injunction.

I know there's a lot of talk going around that some former players may be able to come back and play. It's funny because they brought me the list of names and told me what could possibly happen. Guess what? Some of the guys who could have come back can't because of their grades. They didn't take care of business on the way out. Now they're probably saying, 'Lord, if I had one more chance.' But they don't have that chance because of how they left us. I wouldn't bring them back anyway because they left us in a bad spot and hurt our GPA.

— Colorado head coach Deion Sanders

Sanders cited the program's academic standards as a non-negotiable filter, noting that Colorado set a 135-year school record by posting a cumulative team GPA of 3.011. He framed the former players' academic shortcomings as a selfish act and used the situation as a warning to his current roster about accountability both on and off the field.

In Oklahoma, the program was also assessing how to react to the injunction and its implications for the Sooners' roster ahead of the 2026 season. The eligibility question is further complicated by pending congressional legislation that analysts say could reshape the landscape again, meaning the window for any returning player remains legally uncertain. Programs weighing whether to add former athletes face the prospect that the injunction granting that eligibility could be reversed before the season concludes.