Another lawsuit has been filed against the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), of which there are 1,099 member institutions, one of those being Covenant.
These lawsuits against the NCAA are becoming more common place in our modern world where college sports can afford a lot more than the ability to compete in a sport for the love of the game. Name Image and Likeness (NIL) has been a hot button topic for anyone discussing collegiate sports over the past few years. It is also a major motivator behind the numerous lawsuits filed against the NCAA over the past several years. It seems with each suit the prosecutors look to see how far they can push the NCAA, and this new suit is no different.
On Tuesday, September 2, it was reported by ESPN that two Division I football players were seeking to modify the NCAA’s rules on eligibility years. As it stands, NCAA athletes of any level have 10 semesters to complete 4 seasons (school years) of athletic competition. There are a few minor differences with each of the 3 divisions; however, this is mostly standard across the board.
This is where the lawsuit comes into play; the prosecutors in the suit want the NCAA to amend their rule to five years of eligibility outright. This would eliminate Red Shirt seasons (seasons where athletes are allowed to practice with the team and compete in limited capacity) and Medical Red Shirts, theoretically moving athletes toward graduation faster than they have been in recent years.
The prosecutor's argument is just that; as Ryan Downton, the attorney of the athletes involved in the suit, told ESPN, "We're not challenging the five-year [limit]. The question is why do players have to spend one of those five years sitting on the bench? How does that further any of the NCAA's goal of moving players toward graduation?"
These new rules were already gaining traction in the NCAA. However, in July, it was reported that the NCAA Division II management council supported adopting this five years of play policy. Reception to these new standards is favorable; however, not much movement has been made on getting them off the ground, so NCAA athletes will have to hang tight before planning too far into the future.