From staff and wire reports
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — College athletes who were denied the chance to play immediately after transferring a second time can return to competition, for now. A federal judge in West Virginia issued a 14-day temporary restraining order Wednesday against the NCAA.
U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey in northern West Virginia issued the order after Ohio and six other states filed a lawsuit contending the NCAA’s transfer rule violates federal antitrust law.
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, who is leading the coalition that filed the lawsuit last week, applauded the decision as “only fair and right.”
“Competition is good. Thank you, Judge Bailey, for recognizing that and allowing the kids to play,” Yost said.
The NCAA said in a statement it would comply with the order. NCAA rules allow underclassmen to transfer once without having to sit out. But an additional transfer as an undergraduate generally requires the NCAA to grant a waiver to play immediately.
The states argue that the rule is applied arbitrarily, with some waivers granted and others denied for no legitimate reason, and that the NCAA can no longer plausibly substantiate the regulation’s original justifications. They say the rule unfairly restricts athletes’ ability to market their personal brand and control their education.
A hearing on the restraining order is scheduled for Dec. 27.