Tag: NCAA

Brendan Sorsby looks to throw during the Texas Tech football team's spring game, Friday, April 17, 2026, at Jones AT&T Stadium.

Judge yet to rule in Texas Tech QB Brendan Sorsby’s eligibility case

Posted on | by Field Level Media

A judge in Lubbock County, Texas presided over a two-hour hearing Monday and left the courtroom without making a ruling as Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby seeks an injunction against the NCAA to play in 2026.

Judge Ken Curry requested additional documentation be provided before he renders his verdict, which could happen in the upcoming days, according to ESPN.

Sorsby’s attorney, Jeffrey Kessler, requested a decision be made by June 15 so Sorsby can decide whether to enter the NFL supplement draft by a June 22 deadline.

Curry heard arguments from Sorsby’s team and the NCAA over whether he should be allowed to continue his college football career after making thousands of impermissible bets on college and pro sports — including his own team while at another school.

Sorsby seeks a temporary injunction allowing him to play this season. The quarterback was not present in court Monday.

Sorsby placed at least 40 bets on Indiana football while part of the Hoosiers’ program, court documents revealed last week. Those ranged from $1 to $114 and totaled at least $850 in September and October of 2022, while he was redshirting. Sorsby said in a letter to the NCAA that never bet in a game he played in, nor ever bet against his team.

The quarterback wagered about $90,000 over a four-year period using sportsbook accounts registered to a family member and friends, with 2,900 bets totaling more than $30,000 coming from June 2022 to December 2023 alone. Last week, Sorsby revealed that he completed a 35-day, in-patient rehab stay in Arizona to treat “a diagnosed gambling addiction and anxiety disorder.”

On Monday, Kessler argued that the NCAA ignored Sorsby’s wellbeing in making its decision to render him ineligible. The NCAA countered by saying Sorsby’s mental health was considered, but it did not shield him from the consequence of his actions.

NCAA attorney Taylor Askew further said if an injunction is granted, the collegiate governing body would in effect become the first sports league in the U.S. that could not punish its athletes from betting on its own contests.

The NCAA said it was first informed by law enforcement of Sorsby’s betting activity on March 11, opened its own investigation and notified Texas Tech on April 14. Sorsby’s eligibility was revoked about two weeks later.

Last month, the NCAA denied the university’s request to reinstate Sorsby for 2026, amplifying the importance of Monday’s hearing.

Sorsby transferred to Texas Tech from Cincinnati this offseason and was the Red Raiders’ projected starter for 2026. ESPN ranked Sorsby the No. 1 overall transfer in this year’s class.

–Field Level Media

NCAA President Charlie Baker

NCAA advances age-based eligibility pitch; not retroactive for ’25-26

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The Division I Board of Directors directed the Division I Cabinet to move forward with a major change to NCAA eligibility rules Monday, but president Charlie Baker said he won’t recommend that current seniors and graduates be grandfathered in.

The model in question will allow NCAA athletes to play up to five years of their sport in a five-year window, with the timer starting the academic year after they graduate high school or turn 19, whichever comes first.

“The time is now to reform the period of eligibility rules to provide Division I student-athletes and our schools clear and consistent standards that align with current college athletes’ experiences,” Virginia Tech president and board chairman Tim Sands said in a statement. “The board fully supports student-athletes receiving the unprecedented financial benefits now available to them and emphasized these changes would protect opportunities for high school student-athletes to access the benefits only college sports can provide while delivering predictable outcomes for student-athletes and our schools.”

The Division I Cabinet will meet May 22 and potentially vote on the issue that day.

However, the NCAA’s release makes sure to carve out an exception for players whose eligibility runs out in the current academic year, 2025-26: “new rules are not expected to retroactively apply to student-athletes whose eligibility is or will be completed by the spring of 2026.”

The board of directors was said to have “expressed support” for this key caveat, and in an interview with ESPN, Baker also stood behind it.

“If you’ve used up your eligibility, you’ve used it up,” Baker told ESPN, describing himself as “pretty optimistic” the new rules would pass.

Vanderbilt basketball player Tyler Nickel responded to Baker’s stance with some discontent on social media.

“(S)o we had to play with and against fifth years our entire time in college, but we don’t get one? (A)nd everyone after us gets one too?” Nickel wrote.

Several classes before Nickel’s were awarded a fifth year of eligibility due to the 2020-21 season being impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Nickel entered college in 2022-23.

To Nickel’s point, it is unclear if an exclusion for the current graduating class would hold up under a legal challenge.

–Field Level Media

University logos cover a wall in the lobby of NCAA headquarters Thursday, Feb. 25, 2021, in Indianapolis. Ncaa National Collegiate Athletics Association Office Headquarters In Indianapolis Feb 25 2021

FBS committee proposal: Move up start of season, lose ‘Week 0’

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The NCAA’s Division I Football Bowl Subdivision Oversight Committee has recommended a standardized start to the college football season one week earlier than it currently does.

Instead of most teams opening their seasons in Week 1 and a handful receiving exceptions to play a week earlier, known as “Week 0,” the proposal would move the start for all teams to late August — the weekend before Labor Day weekend — while eliminating all waivers to begin earlier.

Teams would still play a 12-game regular season, but they’d have 14 weeks to schedule them.

“In addition to eliminating exceptions for teams to play before the first contest date, a 14-week regular season annually provides two open dates, flexibility for potential changes to the postseason and preserves standalone weekends for conference championships and the Army-Navy game,” the NCAA said in a release Thursday.

Teams have often been granted the flexibility to play in Week 0 when there is extra travel involved. There are eight games scheduled for Week 0 in 2026, including North Carolina vs. TCU in Dublin, and North Carolina State vs. Virginia in Rio de Janeiro. Hawaii often hosts nonconference opponents in Week 0.

The recommendation goes to the Division I Cabinet, which must vote to adopt the legislation when it meets in June. If it passes, the change would go into effect for the 2027 season.

–Field Level Media

Sep 14, 2024; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes head coach Kirk Ferentz reacts with quarterback Cade McNamara (12) after a touchdown against the Troy Trojans during the second quarter at Kinnick Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

NCAA penalizes Iowa for ’22 tampering violations

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The NCAA ruled on Tuesday that Iowa committed tampering violations when head coach Kirk Ferentz and an assistant made impermissible contact with then-Michigan quarterback Cade McNamara in November 2022 before he entered the transfer portal.

Penalties include the vacation of four wins from the 2023 season in which McNamara participated, a decision that Ferentz called “overly harsh” and school officials characterized as “unwarranted.”

Ferentz and wide receivers coach Jon Budmayr previously resolved their respective violations in the case. However, the school had argued that the vacation of records penalty was outdated, which prompted the need for a hearing with the NCAA Division I Committee on Infractions.

According to the panel, Budmayr made 13 phone calls and sent two text messages to McNamara and/or his father, and arranged for a phone call with Ferentz.

McNamara participated in five games for the Hawkeyes in 2023. Iowa was 4-1 in those contests and finished the season with a 10-4 record. The victories against Utah State, Iowa State, Western Michigan and Michigan State will be vacated.

Ferentz, the head coach at Iowa since 1999, will see his career total reduced from 213 wins to 209.

Ferentz issued a statement expressing his disappointment with the NCAA’s decision.

“Throughout the process, our program has been open and honest about my mistake — contacting a potential player in the hours before it was permissible by NCAA rules,” he said. “… I believe today’s decision by the NCAA vacating four wins in our 2023 season is overly harsh and inconsistent with the violation.

“As I tell our team and staff, it is how you respond and move forward that defines you. Our focus is on the 2026 season and that is how we are moving forward.”

Iowa president Barb Wilson and athletic director Beth Goetz released a joint statement.

“We are very disappointed in today’s ruling by the Committee on Infractions,” it read. “Throughout this nearly two-and-a-half-year process, the University has fully cooperated with the NCAA enforcement staff. More importantly, when the facts revealed that violations had taken place, the institution and the head coach publicly accepted full responsibility and self-imposed several significant sanctions, something few others have done. We believe the decision of adding the penalty of the forfeiture of wins is unwarranted. The matter is now closed, and we have moved forward.”

In addition to the vacated wins, the penalties also include one year of probation for the Hawkeyes.

Iowa’s self-imposed penalties that were accepted by the NCAA included one-game suspensions for Ferentz and Budmayr (already served), a $25,000 fine, a 24-day reduction in recruiting time in 2025, and a two-week ban on football recruiting communication during the 2026 calendar year.

“When respected individuals identify their mistakes and take responsibility for them, it sets the standard for appropriate behavior within their programs, universities and, more importantly, across the broader industry,” the panel said. “The panel appreciates the actions taken by Iowa and Ferentz to publicly address his and his staff member’s conduct.”

–Field Level Media

Jan 8, 2018; Atlanta, GA, USA; President Donald Trump waves during the first quarter of the 2018 CFP national championship college football game between the Georgia Bulldogs and the Alabama Crimson Tide at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-Imagn Images

President Trump executive order: NCAA athletes get 5 years, 1 transfer

Posted on | by Field Level Media

In an executive order the White House billed as an effort to “save college sports,” President Donald Trump issued an executive order Friday aimed at the NCAA, student-athletes’ use of the transfer portal and other eligibility issues.

The order calls on “the interstate intercollegiate athletic governing body for higher education institutions” to establish age-based eligibility limits, including a sports participation window of “no more than a five-year period.”

Under the order, athletes would be allowed one free transfer to another school, and one additional transfer upon obtaining a four-year degree. The order also puts the onus on the NCAA to create a national registry of player agents and to institute policies protecting opportunities, including scholarships, within women’s and Olympic sports from being negatively impacted by revenue-sharing.

The order is effective Aug. 1.

The executive order comes after the creation last month of five presidential committees that will attempt to reform college sports. It’s been a topic of attention at the White House in recent weeks, as Trump also hosted a “Saving College Sports” roundtable that featured the likes of Nick Saban, Tiger Woods and all power-conference commissioners.

“Absent a comprehensive national solution, therefore, the escalating financial demands to succeed in football and basketball combined with the significantly loosened rules governing eligibility, transfers, and pay-for-play schemes may force curtailment of women’s and Olympics sports, and may even jeopardize the overall financial well-being of universities with which the Federal Government has important financial relationships,” one passage of the executive order reads.

The issue will be enforcement. In the past, Trump has used the threat of pulling federal funds to get universities to comply with his policy desires.

The NCAA has largely been unable to enforce its rules since a 2021 Supreme Court case, NCAA v. Alston, found the governing body was not exempt from federal antitrust laws. NCAA decisions, particularly those pertaining to athlete eligibility, have been taken to court and overturned.

One line in the executive order said the NCAA’s bylaws should ensure that “professional athletes cannot return to college athletics.”

Some players from the NBA’s developmental league, the G League, have successfully returned to the college ranks, while former Alabama center Charles Bediako, who had at one point signed an NBA contract, received a temporary restraining order to return to the Crimson Tide earlier this season. He played in five games before a Tuscaloosa Circuit Court judge overturned the ruling; Bediako later dropped his legal challenge.

NCAA president Charlie Baker, who has sought Trump’s help in the past, acknowledged the order in a statement.

“The NCAA has modernized college sports to deliver more benefits for student-athletes, and the Executive Order reinforces many of our mandatory protections — including guaranteed health care coverage, mental health services, and scholarship protections.

“This action is a significant step forward, and we appreciate the Administration’s interest and attention to these issues. Stabilizing college athletics for student-athletes still requires a permanent, bipartisan federal legislative solution, so we look forward to continuing to work alongside the Administration and Congress to enact targeted legislation with the support of student-athlete leaders from all three divisions.”

–Field Level Media

Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss talks with supporters after the hearing of Chambliss in his lawsuit against the NCAA at Calhoun County Courthouse in Pittsboro, Miss., on Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026. Chambliss was granted a preliminary injunction against the NCAA.

Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss clears major eligibility hurdle

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss cleared another significant legal hurdle in his quest to play college football in 2026.

On Friday, the Mississippi Supreme Court denied the NCAA’s petition to appeal an earlier ruling issued in state court.

The case is not over, but legal experts say it’s unlikely to be concluded before Chambliss plays out next season with the Rebels.

The NCAA had opposed a February ruling by a judge in Pittsboro, Miss., who granted Chambliss an injunction for an extra year of college eligibility due to a medical redshirt in 2022 at Ferris State.

The NCAA’s 658-page appeal asked the court to overrule the injunction that gave Chambliss the chance to return to college rather than remain in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Chambliss, who finished eighth in the 2025 Heisman Trophy race while leading the Rebels to the College Football Playoff semifinals, first had his appeal for a sixth season of eligibility denied by the NCAA on Jan. 9.

Chambliss spent his first four college years at Ferris State. He redshirted as a freshman in 2021, appeared in just two games due to injury in 2022 and threw just 33 passes as a backup in 2023 before directing Ferris State to the Division II national championship in 2024.

He transferred to Ole Miss in 2025 and took over in Week 3 after starter Austin Simmons suffered an injury. He wound up leading the Rebels to a 13-2 season that ended with a 31-27 Fiesta Bowl loss to Miami on Jan. 8.

Chambliss completed 66.1% of his passes for 3,937 yards, 22 touchdowns and just three interceptions. He also rushed for 527 yards and eight scores.

He signed a lucrative NIL deal to return to Ole Miss, but that was placed in jeopardy when his waiver appeal was denied.

–Field Level Media

Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss looks over at members of the press during the hearing of Chambliss in his lawsuit against the NCAA at Calhoun County Courthouse in Pittsboro, Miss., on Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026. Chambliss was granted a preliminary injunction against the NCAA.

NCAA appeals eligibility ruling of Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Mississippi’s State Supreme Court holds the fate of Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss in its hands following an appeal of his eligibility status on Thursday.

The NCAA is opposing the February ruling by a judge in Pittsboro, Miss., who granted Chambliss an injunction for an extra year of college eligibility in 2026 due to a medical redshirt in 2022 at Ferris State.

A request by the NCAA to expedite the ruling comes as NFL prospects complete another phase of draft preparation. The 658-page appeal calls on the court to overrule the injunction that granted Chambliss the chance to return to college rather than remain in the 2026 NFL Draft.

“NCAA members and student-athletes will be irreparably harmed in the absence of interlocutory review,” the NCAA filing reads. “The preliminary injunction provides (Chambliss) with an additional year of eligibility that is unavailable to other student-athletes under NCAA bylaws. Under the trial court’s Order, UM will enjoy the benefit of rostering a star quarterback who is no longer eligible to compete. Such an outcome is unfair to DI schools who follow the rules and must compete against UM in the 2026-2027 DI football season or who may be displaced from postseason competition by UM.”

Chambliss, who finished eighth in the 2025 Heisman Trophy race while leading the Rebels to the College Football Playoff semifinals, first had his appeal to play in 2026 denied by the NCAA on Jan. 9.

He was ranked the No. 3 quarterback in the 2026 NFL Draft by Field Level Media analysts before receiving an apparent reprieve with a sixth season of eligibility.

Attorneys filed for the injunction granted by Judge Robert Whitwell in Lafayette County Chancery Court. The University of Mississippi is located in Oxford, the county seat for Lafayette.

However, in the NCAA’s response on Thursday, it also claimed Ole Miss had put itself at risk.

“The injunction order threatens harm to UM as rostering an ineligible quarterback risks sanctions under the NCAA’s Rule of Restitution,” the filing read.

The order in February likely enjoined the rule the NCAA is referencing.

Whitwell spoke for more than an hour before declaring in February that Chambliss would receive the injunction. He declared the NCAA showed “bad faith” when denying Chambliss’ appeal by ignoring evidence brought forth by Ferris State doctors.

Chambliss spent his first four college years at Ferris State. He redshirted as a freshman in 2021, appeared in just two games due to injury in 2022 (triggering the belief he merited a medical redshirt) and threw just 33 passes as a backup in 2023 before directing Ferris State to the Div. II national championship in 2024.

The Grand Rapids, Mich., native transferred to Ole Miss in 2025 and became the team’s quarterback in Week 3 after starter Austin Simmons suffered an injury. Chambliss wound up leading the Rebels to a 13-2 season that ended with a 31-27 Fiesta Bowl loss to Miami on Jan. 8.

Chambliss completed 66.1% of his passes for 3,937 yards, 22 touchdowns and just three interceptions. He also rushed for 527 yards and eight scores.

He signed a lucrative NIL deal to return to Ole Miss, but that was placed in jeopardy when his waiver appeal was denied.

The NCAA can appeal Thursday’s decision, so Chambliss isn’t guaranteed to be in uniform when Ole Miss opens the 2026 season against Louisville on either Sept. 5 or 6 in Nashville, Tenn.

The NCAA issued a statement shortly after the injunction was granted:

“This decision in a state court illustrates the impossible situation created by differing court decisions that serve to undermine rules agreed to by the same NCAA members who later challenge them in court. We will continue to defend the NCAA’s eligibility rules against repeated attempts to rob future generations of the opportunity to compete in college and experience the life-changing opportunities only college sports can create. The NCAA and its member schools are making changes to deliver more benefits to student-athletes, but the patchwork of state laws and inconsistent, conflicting court decisions make partnering with Congress essential to provide stability for current and future college athletes.”

–Field Level Media

University logos cover a wall in the lobby of NCAA headquarters Thursday, Feb. 25, 2021, in Indianapolis. Ncaa National Collegiate Athletics Association Office Headquarters In Indianapolis Feb 25 2021

NCAA proposes strict penalties for adding transfers out of portal window

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The NCAA wants football teams to stick to the window.

That’s the message delivered by the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision Oversight Committee on Wednesday, with the organization proposing stiff penalties for schools not observing the rules surrounding the transfer portal window in early January.

Such penalties would include the head coach being prohibited from engaging in any football activities for a period of six weeks/games, the school being nailed for a fine equal to 20% of its football budget and the program losing five roster spots for the following season.

“We felt this was appropriate to place an emphasis on this rule with where we are in Division I football,” said Mark Alnutt, chair of the oversight committee and athletic director at Buffalo. “We have a window for student-athletes to notify their school when they would like to enter the Transfer Portal. If there is movement without going through the process as it is legislated, the committee felt there needed to be significant penalties.”

Multiple incidents sparked speculation that changes could be in the offing, including a notable circumstance earlier this year in which Ole Miss was able to add Clemson transfer Luke Ferrelli outside the window, much to the frustration of Clemson coach Dabo Swinney.

The oversight was introduced via emergency legislation, set to be voted on at the Division I cabinet meeting in April. If approved, the legislation would become effective immediately.

“Attempts to circumvent the transfer window process is an issue for the sport,” Georgia athletic director Josh Brooks added. “We want to let everyone know that this is not going to be allowed, and the committee wants to protect the transfer window that has been established.”

Also on the docket is a proposal to remove limitations on the number of official visits, which would disadvantage schools with smaller budgets but bring football in line with other NCAA sports. A current waiver already allows schools an unlimited amount of visits — a vote would make the change more permanent.

–Field Level Media

Lafayette County Chancery Court Judge Robert Whitwell, left, questions Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, right, during the hearing in his lawsuit against the NCAA at Calhoun County Courthouse in Pittsboro, Miss., on Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026. Chambliss is looking for a temporary injunction and a permanent injunction against the NCAA for one more year of eligibility.

Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss granted injunction by Mississippi judge

Posted on | by Field Level Media

A judge in Pittsboro, Miss., ruled Thursday that Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss deserved a medical redshirt in 2022 at Ferris State and therefore merits one more year of college football eligibility.

Chambliss, who finished eighth in the 2025 Heisman Trophy race while leading the Rebels to the College Football Playoff semifinals, had his appeal to play in 2026 denied by the NCAA on Jan. 9.

That led Chambliss’ lawyers to file for the injunction granted Thursday by Judge Robert Whitwell in Lafayette County Chancery Court. The University of Mississippi is located in Oxford, the county seat for Lafayette.

Whitwell spoke for more than an hour before declaring Chambliss would receive the injunction. He declared the NCAA showed “bad faith” when denying Chambliss’ appeal by ignoring evidence brought forth by Ferris State doctors.

Chambliss spent his first four college years at Ferris State. He redshirted as a freshman in 2021, appeared in just two games due to injury in 2022 (triggering the belief he merited a medical redshirt) and threw just 33 passes as a backup in 2023 before directing Ferris State to the Div. II national championship in 2024.

The Grand Rapids, Mich., native transferred to Ole Miss in 2025 and became the team’s quarterback in Week 3 after starter Austin Simmons suffered an injury. Chambliss wound up leading the Rebels to a 13-2 season that ended with a 31-27 Fiesta Bowl loss to Miami on Jan. 8.

Chambliss completed 66.1% of his passes for 3,937 yards, 22 touchdowns and just three interceptions. He also rushed for 527 yards and eight scores.

He signed a lucrative NIL deal to return to Ole Miss, but that was placed in jeopardy when his waiver appeal was denied.

The NCAA can appeal Thursday’s decision, so Chambliss isn’t guaranteed to be in uniform when Ole Miss opens the 2026 season against Louisville on either Sept. 5 or 6 in Nashville.

The NCAA issued a statement shortly after the injunction was granted:

“This decision in a state court illustrates the impossible situation created by differing court decisions that serve to undermine rules agreed to by the same NCAA members who later challenge them in court. We will continue to defend the NCAA’s eligibility rules against repeated attempts to rob future generations of the opportunity to compete in college and experience the life-changing opportunities only college sports can create. The NCAA and its member schools are making changes to deliver more benefits to student-athletes, but the patchwork of state laws and inconsistent, conflicting court decisions make partnering with Congress essential to provide stability for current and future college athletes.”

–Field Level Media

Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh watches from the sideline beside off-field analyst Connor Stalions during at Ohio State in 2022.

NCAA denies Connor Stalions’ appeal of Michigan sign-stealing penalty

Posted on | by Field Level Media

An NCAA appeals committee denied former Michigan staff member Connor Stalions’ appeal of the eight-year show-cause penalty he received for his role in a sign-stealing scandal.

Stalions had argued that the August ruling from the NCAA Committee on Infractions was based on “procedural errors” and a misapplication of the bylaws prohibiting in-person scouting of future opponents.

Stalions, 30, filed the appeal in October, and the appeals committee deliberated his case twice in December before issuing its final decision on Wednesday.

“We find that the record clearly supports that procedures were followed in relation to cases that originated with a confidential source and the hearing panel relied only on corroborating information when making its determinations,” the appeals committee wrote in its report.

“Further, Mr. Stalions failed to demonstrate a link between any initial publicity about the allegations and a failure by the enforcement staff to follow their policies and procedures, especially in light of the necessity to limit potential game integrity impacts under the circumstances.”

In its August ruling, the infractions committee determined that Stalions was at the center of the scheme to collect cellphone videos of signals from games of the Wolverines’ opponents during the 2021, 2022 and 2023 seasons. Michigan won the national championship in 2023.

Former Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh, who left to coach the Los Angeles Chargers in 2024, received a 10-year show-cause penalty. His successor, Sherrone Moore, served a three-game suspension before being fired in December for allegedly engaging in an inappropriate relationship with a staff member.

–Field Level Media