A Monroe County circuit court hearing that could decide the eligibility of eight athletes, including two Indiana football players, has been pushed back to Monday at 9 a.m.
For now, that delay keeps the current temporary restraining order in place and preserves the athletes’ extra year of eligibility. It also means they remain available this weekend while the case works its way toward a possible temporary injunction.
John W. Richards, a partner at Bunger & Robertson in Bloomington and one of the plaintiffs’ attorneys, confirmed the postponement to IndyStar on Thursday.
The case centers on a challenge to the NCAA’s decision not to extend its new five-years-in-five eligibility rule to high school class of 2022 athletes who graduated last spring. The eight plaintiffs are Stephen Daley, Kellan Wyatt, Owen McDonald, Avry Tatum, Malik Reneau, Zalan Sarkany, Jordan Johnson and Yohan Traore.
Last week’s TRO gave those players one additional year of eligibility. It also barred the NCAA from enforcing its “ghost transfer” rule, which blocks transfers outside the approved annual window, and ordered the association to open the transfer portal for seven days so the players could enter if they wanted. It is not clear whether that court-ordered portal window has been extended.
For Indiana, the postponement keeps fifth-year players Daley and Wyatt eligible at least through another week. That matters again on Saturday, when the No. 6 Hoosiers host Howard at noon.
Daley logged a few snaps in IU’s 52-16 win over North Texas last week. Wyatt, whom IU coach Curt Cignetti has said is still working back toward game shape, did not play.
The original TRO was issued Friday, Sept. 4, by Circuit Court Judge Kara Krothe.
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Now the success that once felt impossible has created a different kind of pressure, because when a program climbs this fast, the debate stops being about whether it belongs and starts being about how long it can keep this up. Indiana fans have spent years waiting for a breakthrough, but the better the Hoosiers look, the more every new win seems to invite a tougher question about what comes next and whether the standard has already become too high to sustain. [Read more 🡒]
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Indiana Is Gaining Early Momentum With A Tackle Recruit To Watch
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Van der Kooy singled out Cignetti, Bob Bostad and Zack Leeds for the way they carried themselves, and he also noted the gameday atmosphere and the academic offerings at Indiana. He does not yet have an offer from the Hoosiers, but he sounds open to the possibility if his development keeps trending the right way, which gives Indiana at least an early foothold with a prospect worth tracking. [Read more 🡒]