A Colorado judge has ruled that the Class of 2022 high school graduates who have used all four years of college eligibility will be getting one additional season.
The decision, made by Judge Charlotte Sweeney of the U.S. District Court of Colorado, gives the Class of 2022 a 5th year of eligibility, mirroring the NCAA's recent change to the "5-for-5 rule". This rule allows athletes to get five years of eligibility upon the start of their full-time enrollment.
This ruling is a result of a lawsuit against the NCAA by the Class of 2022, who felt they were being left behind after the change to the new eligibility rules. The NCAA had changed its rules in June to an age-based model, which would only take effect for athletes entering college in the 2026-27 academic year.
UCLA Bruins Donovan Dent and Skyy Clark, who were part of a California lawsuit against the NCAA last month, are among those who will benefit from the judge's decision. They will now have another season of eligibility.
The decision has significant implications for college football programs, particularly those who are nearing the start of the 2026 season. Time will tell if these programs will bring in Class of 2022 football players to help boost their roster for this season.
The Class of 2022 were stuck in the middle of the athletes who got an extra year due to the COVID pandemic and the 5-for-5 rule change. Judge Sweeney ultimately decided that it's only fair for them to receive an additional season of eligibility as well.
USA TODAY writer Jordan Mendoza explained the sudden shift: "The injunction comes after the NCAA changed its eligibility rules to an age-based model in June, going for the '5-for-5 rule' in which athletes would get five years of eligibility upon the start of their full-time enrollment."
The ruling will have ripple effects throughout the college sports world. It remains to be seen how college football programs will adapt to this new development, and whether they will take advantage of the additional talent available to them.
As the 2026 season approaches, college football fans and teams will be watching closely to see how this decision plays out. Will Class of 2022 players be brought in to bolster rosters, or will teams opt to go with younger talent? Only time will tell.
Source: Yahoo Sports