A Look At Recent Eligibility Cases Won & Lost By The NCAA

As reported on Wednesday, the NCAA Division I Cabinet is considering extending student-athlete eligibility to five years and implementing strict rules regarding redshirts and waiver exemptions.

Those strict rules would dictate that unless an athlete is on maternity leave, performing military service, or on a religious mission, they would not be granted a waiver or permitted to take a redshirt year. However, with eligibility extending to five years, an athlete who misses the majority or all of one season due to injury or otherwise would still get the same four years of competition they do now.

One big reason why the NCAA is proposing this change is due to the legal issues the current system has caused. According to Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger, the NCAA received 1,450 waiver requests for extended eligibility last year, and two-thirds of those were granted.

Of the approximately 500 that were not granted, more than 70 have resulted in lawsuits.

Dellenger also reported that the NCAA has won more than two-thirds of the eligibility lawsuits its faced.

Blythe was competing for the Wolf Pack this season through the district court’s injunction after the NCAA denied his waiver. He is now ineligible.

The NCAA has now won more than two-thirds of the 60+ eligibility lawsuits filed against it. It as spent $16M+ in legal fees.

— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) April 8, 2026

According to data from 45 recent eligibility cases supplied by Boise State assistant professor Sam C. Erlich‘s College Sports Litigation Tracker, the NCAA has won 31 of them.

Below, find a rundown of each of these cases with relevant coverage of each where available. Click on each case link to read more on the specifics.

NCAA Wins:

Note: “TRO” is a temporary restraining order, an emergency court order that pauses NCAA enforcement of rules while the case proceeds.

• Fourqurean v. NCAA – Court of Appeals reversed a preliminary injunction that had blocked enforcement of the NCAA’s Five-Year Rule against the plaintiff; the injunction was overturned on appeal, supporting NCAA enforcement.
• Ohio v. NCAA (Beasley intervening) – Preliminary injunction denying eligibility relief upheld.
• Jones et al. v. NCAA – Preliminary injunction denied; plaintiffs voluntarily dismissed.
• Brzovic v. NCAA – Preliminary injunction denied; case later voluntarily dismissed.
• District courts denied preliminary injunctions; most voluntarily dismissed thereafter:
  • Hamilton v. NCAA
  • Coley v. NCAA
  • Arbolida v. NCAA
  • K Johnson v. NCAA
  • K Robinson v. NCAA
  • Walker v. NCAA
  • Hill v. NCAA
  • Hasz v. NCAA
  • Giles v. NCAA
• Preliminary injunction/TRO denied or ongoing without injunction:
  • Zeigler v. NCAA
  • Larry v. NCAA
  • Boyd v. NCAA
  • Mayes v. NCAA
  • Stedman v. NCAA
  • Humphreys v. NCAA
  • Hickman v. NCAA
  • Coly v. NCAA 
• Blythe v. NCAA – TRO and preliminary injunction reversed on appeal (loss for player).
• Patterson v. NCAA – Preliminary injunction denied on Jan 15, 2026 — major NCAA victory in a multi-plaintiff case.
• Bediako v. NCAA – Judge denied preliminary injunction after temporary restraining order period; reported as an NCAA win in eligibility litigation.
• Morris v. NCAA – A Charlottesville (Va.) state court denied his preliminary injunction seeking a seventh year of eligibility, noted as another NCAA legal win.

While the NCAA has prevailed in a majority of cases, several athletes have secured temporary or preliminary relief allowing them to compete.

Player Wins:

• Pavia v. NCAA – Federal judge granted preliminary injunction on Dec 18, 2024, allowing Vanderbilt QB Diego Pavia to play in 2025 (injunction later rendered moot by NCAA-issued waiver).
• Wade v. NCAA – NCAA granted a waiver before an injunction ruling, effectively making the case moot.
• Elad v. NCAA – Third Circuit overturned the injunction but granted a renewed TRO (player procedural win before case dismissal).
• J Robinson v. NCAA – Preliminary injunction granted 8/20/2025 in multi-player challenge to Five-Year/JUCO Rule; appeal ongoing (injunction win).
• Moore v. NCAA – Judge granted injunction 9/24/2025, allowing play under the Missouri case (reported in general litigation coverage).
• Iuzzolino v. NCAA – TRO granted 9/30/2025, extended pending further ruling.
• Agee v. NCAA – Injunction granted 10/13/2025 (appeal ongoing).
• Grant-Foster v. NCAA – Preliminary injunction granted 10/27/2025 before consolidation with broader litigation.
• F Hicks v. NCAA – Injunction granted 12/3/2025.
• Van de Griend v. NCAA – TRO granted 11/4/2025; NCAA then granted waiver to player.
• D Johnson v. NCAA (state) – TRO (1/16/2026) and preliminary injunction (2/20/2026) granted in state court.
• Chambliss v. NCAA – A Mississippi judge granted Trinidad Chambliss a preliminary injunction/extra year of eligibility for 2026 (player win).
• B Robinson v. NCAA – TRO granted 3/27/2026 (player win stage).

You can access Sam C. Erlich‘s College Sports Litigation Tracker and plenty of information on active and closed eligibility cases here.