Appeals court keeps 38 student-athletes eligible for 2026-27 season
Judge Sara Walter Combs denied the NCAA's request for emergency relief, allowing athletes blocked by the five-for-five rule to compete while the appeal proceeds.
By Christopher Singh ·
The NCAA's legal battle over its new five-for-five eligibility rule continues, with a Kentucky appellate court keeping 38 student-athletes active for the upcoming season. The decision prevents the governing body from stripping these players of their standing while the underlying appeal is reviewed.
Jefferson Circuit Court Judge in Louisville granted a temporary injunction on October 16 that allowed the athletes to compete. This ruling specifically benefits members of the graduating class of 2022, who were previously denied an additional season under the NCAA's revised bylaws. The NCAA sought emergency relief to pause this injunction, but the appellate court rejected that bid.
The athletes affected by this interim status include Louisville football players Jabari Mack and Kalib Perry, and men's basketball players Seth Trimble and LJ Wells. Other named individuals are Missouri basketball player Mark Mitchell Jr., Kentucky football player Alex Afari Jr., LSU basketball player Skyy Clark, and Texas Tech quarterback Thomas Castellanos. All of these players can now participate in their respective programs for the 2026-27 season.
Judge Sara Walter Combs of the Kentucky Court of Appeals wrote that the NCAA failed to demonstrate an "imminent, ruinous, and incalculable injury" if the injunction remained in place. She noted that it behooves no one for the players' eligibility status to "flip-flop repeatedly" while the courts work through the underlying issues of the case.
The NCAA argued that allowing the players to compete would give their schools an unfair competitive advantage that could not be easily undone if the players were later ruled ineligible. Combs acknowledged the association's claim that a small handful of regular season wins could affect all competing schools, but she maintained that the legal standards for granting a stay were not met.
The case is not yet resolved. A panel of three Kentucky Court of Appeals judges will still consider the NCAA's request for relief. Until that panel issues a decision, the temporary injunction stands, and the 38 student-athletes retain their eligibility to compete in the fall and winter seasons.
