Colorado Judge Grants 2022 NCAA Athletes Blanket Waiver for 2026 Season

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Aug 6

U.S. District Judge Charlotte Sweeney issued a class-action injunction in Colorado that lets 2022-class athletes across all sports compete in the 2026 season if they still have a year to use.
The ruling targets the NCAA’s decision to exclude the 2022 recruiting class from its new five-years-for-five-seasons eligibility model, a gap that has triggered lawsuits nationwide.
The waiver immediately complicates roster management—especially in football, where fall camps are opening and many teams lack space for newly eligible players.
Indiana already said defensive lineman Stephen Daley could return under the order, though that hinges on whether the NCAA wins an administrative stay on appeal.
The case adds pressure on the NCAA as it keeps fighting eligibility suits in court while lobbying Congress to pass the Protect College Sports Act for stronger antitrust protection.