Indiana football’s Kellan Wyatt and Stephen Daley are no longer eligible to play in 2026 after the 10th circuit granted the NCAA a stay on Friday, August 21, reversing an earlier preliminary injunction that had favored both players.
The new ruling puts the pair back on hold while the case continues, though they are still expected to stay with the team. The decision does not affect their ability to practice, but it does remove their playing status for now.
The case, Wisne v. NCAA, had created the legal opening that brought Wyatt and Daley back for this fall. The injunction applied to athletes from the class of 2022 who had already used four years of eligibility, and that broader ruling is what made the two Indiana players eligible again.
That situation always carried some uncertainty. Because their status depended on a temporary injunction, there was never a guarantee they would be cleared in time to play an entire season, even if the case eventually breaks their way.
Still, the legal process has moved quickly. The suit was filed in July, then produced a preliminary injunction before the NCAA’s successful appeal of that ruling. With the case already moving at that pace, there is at least a sense that a final answer could come sooner rather than later.
The impact stretches well beyond Indiana football. Since the injunction covered all athletes from the class of 2022, players across fall sports are now dealing with the fallout as their briefly restored eligibility is put back in question.
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The timing only adds to the buzz around the building. Indiana is riding a 15-game home winning streak, the longest in the nation, and the atmosphere around Bloomington has started to match the results on the field. For a program that has spent so much of its history trying to turn Memorial Stadium into a true weekly destination, next fall is shaping up as a very different kind of test. [Read more 🡒]
Paul Finebaum Just Gave Indiana Fans A New Reason To Push Back
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Former Hoosiers Put Friendship On Hold For An NFL Showdown
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The friendship is still there, but the pregame chatter apparently is not. Fisher said the two have not talked much this week and plan to save the conversation for after the game, which is a fitting twist for two former teammates who now have to put familiarity aside for a few snaps. Around that storyline, Indianas pro pipeline also has a few other items worth tracking, including Kaelon Blacks return to 49ers practice, Kurtis Rourkes injury status and Cam Jones re-signing with the Chiefs. [Read more 🡒]