The latest twist in an effort to play a fifth season by class of 2022 athletes arrived via a court decision Friday morning.
And it directly impacts the game eligibility of IU football defensive ends Stephen Daley and Kellan Wyatt.
The nationwide injunction that cleared a path for Daley and Wyatt to play for the Hoosiers this fall has been stayed by the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals. The stay reverses a federal judge’s decision that previously opened the door for all athletes who started college in the 2022-23 academic year and played for four consecutive seasons to return for a fifth season.
Until the case has been heard by the appeals court, Daley and Wyatt are no longer eligible to play in games in 2026.
Meanwhile, IU basketball’s Sam Alexis is not impacted by the federal decision. Alexis’ eligibility was covered by a state injunction in a Tennessee court, and an NCAA attempt to stay that injunction pending an appeal was denied. Alexis is currently eligible, but his pursuit of a fifth season could still be overturned via an appeal, however.
Both Daley and Wyatt were at IU’s practice Friday morning ahead of the news. They should be able to continue practicing with the team amid the uncertainty but are not eligible for games at the moment.
How this plays out is anyone’s guess at this point.
Daley and Wyatt could seek their own injunctions in a manner similar to Alexis, or they could wait for the outcome of the NCAA’s appeal. It is not clear when the appeal will be heard in the Tenth Circuit.
While they can certainly help, getting Daley and Wyatt for a fifth season was a luxury for Curt Cignetti’s team.
The Hoosiers are already stacked along the outside of their defensive line, with Chiddi Obiazor, Tobi Osunsanmi, Daniel Ndukwe and Josh Burnham all with meaningful experience and in line for major roles.
The NCAA changed its eligibility rules earlier this year to allow all college athletes to play five seasons during a five-year window that opens the year after they finish high school or turn 19 years old. The previous NCAA rules allowed athletes to play four seasons during a five-year window.
The change created a specific group of outgoing seniors who played in each of their four years who were out of eligibility under the old rules but would be eligible for another season if the new rule applied to them. The NCAA’s Division I Board of Directors decided in June that their new rules would not apply to outgoing seniors, setting off a flurry of courtroom activities.
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