Politics
College sports season begins amid ongoing court challenges to eligibility rules
Lawsuits over athlete eligibility, returning professionals, and gambling bans continue to create instability across major college programs.
The short version
- The 2026 college sports season began under significant legal uncertainty as student-athletes and universities challenge NCAA eligibility rules in courts.
- Major athletic conferences passed rules barring athletes from returning to college after turning professional, but schools like LSU continue efforts to bring back former pros.
- More than 30 active lawsuits involving roughly 400 athletes are currently challenging various NCAA restrictions, including eligibility limits and gambling bans.
- Congress is considering legislation that would offer the NCAA a limited federal antitrust exemption and lawsuit protections over its rulemaking.
Key facts
- The Big Ten, SEC, Big 12, and ACC recently adopted regulations prohibiting athletes who left for professional leagues from returning to play college sports.[ABC News · Associated Press]
- LSU and Louisiana's governor have signaled plans to proceed with bringing former professional players onto its rosters despite new SEC conference restrictions.[ABC News · Associated Press]
- There are over 30 active lawsuits involving nearly 400 athletes contesting NCAA eligibility policies, including rules excluding the high school Class of 2022 from a new five-year eligibility window.[ABC News · Associated Press]
- The Big 12 filed a lawsuit against member school Texas Tech in June after a state court order temporarily permitted quarterback Brendan Sorsby to play despite an NCAA ban regarding a gambling addiction.[ABC News · Associated Press]
- NCAA Senior Vice President Tim Buckley stated that member institutions are using local judges to circumvent rules agreed upon by the association's members.[ABC News · Associated Press]
- A proposed Senate bill would provide the NCAA with a partial federal antitrust exemption to protect its ability to set and enforce eligibility rules.[ABC News · Associated Press]
What remains uncertain
- It remains uncertain whether federal legislation proposing antitrust protections for the NCAA will gather enough support to pass into law.[ABC News · Associated Press]
- How ongoing state and federal court rulings will ultimately affect individual school rosters and athlete eligibility throughout the 2026 season remains unresolved.[ABC News · Associated Press]