Why the NCAA is fighting back against a U.S. District Court's ruling
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The NCAA is taking aim and fighting back against a U.S. District Court judge's ruling that has temporarily granted a fifth year of eligibility to college student-athletes from the high school class of 2022.
In a letter obtained Saturday, Aug. 1, by USA TODAY Sports, the NCAA outlined its intent to fight against the ruling of Judge Charlotte Sweeney, who presides over the U.S. District Court of Colorado.
"The District Court of Colorado's decision (Wisne v. NCAA) is egregiously wrong," NCAA Chief Legal Officer Scott Bearby wrote in a memo Saturday to NCAA membership and directly obtained by USA TODAY Sports. "The court's decision to certify a nationwide class and grant sweeping injunctive relief with virtually no evidence, and without witness testimony or even so much as a hearing, invites further chaos in college sports and irreparably harms thousands of student-athletes already on campus."
Four different college football general managers, speaking Saturday on condition of anonymity due to the uncertain nature of this ruling and the potential impact to rosters, told USA TODAY Sports that they have held informal meetings and begun the process of assessing potential roster additions from the group of senior football players whose careers ended with the 2025 season and had graduated in 2022.
Additionally, multiple conferences — including the Big Ten and Pac 12, among others — dispatched information or answered questions that surrounded Sweeney's ruling.
"We're prepared and we are gathering a list," said a power conference general manager. "But, we are not yet acting."
Per the NCAA memo, its legal team also emphasized per its viewpoint that one U.S. court cannot override another court's prior decision in this method.
"The Court has not yet entered an order specifying what it is purporting to enjoin — a requirement under the law," the NCAA memo continued. "We will seek that clarification immediately. But to be clear, one federal court cannot enjoin a settlement approved and entered by another court. The House injunction remains in effect according to its plain terms.
"The Colorado court plainly lacks the authority to undermine the House injunction, which all of the plaintiffs in the Colorado case are bound by, including the roster limits and revenue share cap. "
The NCAA then concluded its letter to membership.
"We intend to appeal the Colorado order and will seek to restore the status quo as soon as possible to protect participation opportunities for the countless student-athletes who chose where to attend school based on the understanding that the rules adopted by the NCAA’s member institutions would be applied as written.
"Schools and coaches must make their own independent decisions, but an injunction is intended to be short in duration and the NCAA intends to appeal it on an expedited basis. The membership made a considered decision about the timing of the Age-Based Eligibility Rule in order to protect competitive opportunities for thousands of student-athletes already on campus.
"Every federal circuit to address similarly flawed legal claims and similarly deficient evidentiary record has reversed."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why the NCAA is fighting back against a U.S. District Court's ruling
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