Owen Heinecke wins NCAA eligibility hearing to return to OU football

NORMAN — Oklahoma football linebacker Owen Heinecke was granted a preliminary injunction for another year of eligibility Thursday in Cleveland County District Court.

Heinecke, 23, is a former walk-on who broke out for the Sooners during their run to the College Football Playoff last season and sought another year of eligibility after the NCAA denied his initial petition and appeal. Heinecke was asking to play a fourth season of college football to “compete in the precise number of college football seasons allowed by the NCAA.”

Now, after Thursday’s ruling Heinecke will play another season with the Sooners.

Heinecke filed for a preliminary injunction on March 23. The Tulsa native participated in the NFL Scouting Combine and OU’s Pro Day, where he said he was "full steam ahead" to the NFL. But it was expected that Heinecke would take legal action following Sooners general manager Jim Nagy’s comments earlier in March when he said the process was still being worked out.

Heinecke was initially ruled to be out of eligibility due to the NCAA counting three games — 15 minutes — of lacrosse at Ohio State against him from his freshman year in 2021. Heinecke argued he was unable to play football that season due to the NCAA canceling official recruiting visits due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a hip avulsion and the Buckeyes not holding walk-on tryouts.

More: Owen Heinecke eligibility hearing: What to know as OU football LB takes on NCAA in court

Likely a key component of Balkman’s decision was a “notice of supplemental authority” submitted by Heinecke’s legal counsel, led by Mary Quinn Cooper of McAfee & Taft, earlier this week. They received a copy of an Oct. 20, 2025 waiver decision involving another student-athlete who sought an eligibility waiver after the NCAA previously said Heinecke did not provide "evidence of how similarly situated student-athletes’ waiver requests have been adjudicated." 

That decision was never uploaded to the database that member institutions use to research precedent, meaning OU or Heinecke couldn’t have cited it. Heinecke’s counsel also included a side-by-side chart comparing Texas offensive lineman Laurence Symore’s eligibility case to Heinecke’s in their reply to the NCAA’s rebuttal last Friday.

Several college football players have filed for preliminary injunctions in recent months, including Mississippi quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, who took his case to court in Mississippi and won. A Virginia circuit court judge denied Virginia quarterback Chandler Morris’ request for a preliminary injunction to play a seventh season last week.

OU’s director of compliance Brady Newville, as well as Sooners coach Brent Venables and general manager Jim Nagy testified at the hearing. So did Heinecke’s former Bishop Kelley High School coach JJ Tappana.

OU President Joseph Harroz Jr. and new athletic director Roger Denny were in attendance.

Colton Sulley covers the Oklahoma Sooners for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Colton? He can be reached at csulley@oklahoman.com or on X/Twitter at @colton_sulley. Support Colton's work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OU football LB Owen Heinecke wins NCAA eligibility hearing to return