Hamilton County Judge Chris Wagner has granted a preliminary injunction to a class of college athletes, opening the door for an extra year of eligibility in response to the NCAA’s age-based eligibility ruling. The court was unable to issue a ruling on July 1, which pushed the matter to today’s decision.
That ruling matters directly for former Utah State guards MJ Collins and Kolby King, who were among the athletes behind the lawsuit and were hoping to suit up for their former coach, Jerrod Calhoun, at Cincinnati.
The group at the center of the case had already exhausted its eligibility this past athletic year, but each had played only four seasons of college basketball. They sued the NCAA in an effort to be included in the 5-for-5 ruling.
After a temporary restraining order was denied on June 24, Judge Wagner set the injunction hearing for Wednesday, July 1, and ultimately ruled in favor of the athletes. Cincinnati head coach Jerrod Calhoun, Xavier head coach Richard Pitino, and Akron head coach Dustin Ford all testified on behalf of the players.
For Cincinnati, the biggest name in the mix is Collins. He led Utah State in scoring last season, putting up 17 points per game while shooting 36% from 3-point range.
If he’s cleared to join the Bearcats, the impact is immediate. Collins would slide into a starting group that could include Tylen Riley, Myles Colvin, Tyler Tejada and Riley Allenspach, and his arrival would dramatically alter the outlook for Calhoun’s team.
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Bearcats Lineman Sends Strong Message About Cincinnati's New Quarterback
With Brendan Sorsby gone and a new season already taking shape under Scott Satterfield, Cincinnati has spent the spring sorting out what its offense will look like in 2026. The most important transition is at quarterback, where transfer JC French IV has stepped into the mix after arriving from Georgia Southern, and the early read from inside the building has been encouraging. Offensive lineman Evan Tengesdahl has been among the players watching that change up close, and the Bearcats are leaning on a front that returns key pieces from a group that was a semifinalist for the Joe Moore Award.
For Cincinnati, the lines continuity matters almost as much as the quarterback change itself. If the Bearcats are going to keep pace with or improve on last seasons offensive production, French will need time, trust and a room full of veterans who can help him settle in quickly. Spring workouts are only part of the picture, but they have already given the Bearcats a first look at how the new quarterback fits into a unit that expects more from itself in 2026. [Read more 🡒]
Jerrod Calhoun Is Lining Up Another Major Test For Cincinnati
Jerrod Calhoun is still putting his stamp on Cincinnatis non-conference future, and the latest step is a home-and-home series that would give the Bearcats another sturdy measuring stick before league play begins. The deal is agreed to in principle, which keeps it from being fully official just yet, but it fits the kind of scheduling approach Cincinnati has been building around: challenging games, recognizable opponents and a slate that should tell a lot about where the program stands.
The series also reflects the behind-the-scenes work that often shapes these matchups, with John Cunningham and Minnesota athletic director Mark Coyle helping move it along. Minnesota has been active on the roster front and has shown enough recent progress to make this a worthwhile test, and it adds another layer to a non-conference schedule that already has plenty of familiar pressure points for Cincinnati. [Read more 🡒]
NCAA Eligibility Fight Could Suddenly Impact Cincinnatis Roster Plans
A Hamilton County court ruling could ripple into Cincinnatis roster planning in a hurry, as the NCAAs new five-to-play-five eligibility model faces another legal challenge from a group of basketball players in the high school Class of 2022. The dispute centers on whether athletes who have already used up eligibility under the old system should be barred from getting another year, and it has already created uncertainty for programs trying to map out their transfer options.
For the Bearcats, the timing matters because the transfer market is still taking shape and any change in who can enter it can alter the board quickly. A pretrial conference is set for August 4, and until then Cincinnati and other programs will be watching closely to see whether the case opens the door for more players to pursue one more season, or whether the NCAAs new framework holds firm. [Read more 🡒]