CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The NCAA and a coalition of states including Ohio have jointly asked a federal court to extend a small window for multiple-transfer athletes to compete through at least the winter and spring semesters.
The motion filed Friday seeks to extend a temporary restraining order barring the NCAA from enforcing a rule for those athletes who transfer multiple times.
A federal judge in West Virginia had issued the order letting athletes compete in games for 14 days.
The NCAA then said basketball players who compete during the two-week window would be using up a season of eligibility.
An extension would allow athletes to compete without having to worry about their status, which would include redshirt eligibility, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said.
“We don’t want the college athletes to get caught in the middle of this court case. The joint motion filed [Friday] signifies our shared commitment to ensuring that sports seasons operate smoothly during the legal proceedings,” Yost said.
“Let the kids play. Let them compete.”
Now, the two sides apparently are coming together to address the athletes’ desires.
The lawsuit, which alleges the NCAA transfer rule’s waiver process violates federal antitrust law, could have a profound impact on college sports if successful. In court documents, the NCAA has said the plaintiffs “seek to remake collegiate athletics and replace it with a system of perpetual and unchecked free agency.”
The states have claimed the rule harms the athletes’ careers by depriving them of media exposure and their chances to take advantage of endorsement opportunities stemming from the uses of their names, images and likenesses.