A federal court ruling Friday added another twist to the ongoing fight over NCAA eligibility, and Kansas is right in the middle of the uncertainty.
U.S. District Judge Charlotte Sweeney granted a preliminary injunction that lets Division I athletes from the high school class of 2022, who used up their fourth season of eligibility this spring, compete in the 2026-27 academic year. The NCAA is expected to appeal, but the decision immediately opens the door to more questions for schools nationwide.
That matters in Lawrence because former Kansas players Melvin Council Jr. and Jayden Dawson are both chasing extra eligibility through separate legal paths.
Council filed a lawsuit in Douglas County earlier this week, asking for a sixth season of college basketball. His argument is different from the one at the center of Friday’s ruling: he says his two years at junior college should not count against his NCAA eligibility, and he is also seeking another shot after already receiving a previous NCAA waiver.
Dawson is part of another lawsuit filed in North Carolina. Like several other players in that case, the former Kansas guard is looking for another season after running out of eligibility under the NCAA’s old rules.
Friday’s injunction doesn’t settle either of those cases, but it does deal another blow to the NCAA as courts keep digging into the organization’s eligibility policies.
In June, the NCAA approved its new “five-for-five” model, which would allow future Division I athletes to play five seasons within a five-year window starting with full-time enrollment or the academic year after they turn 19. That rule is set to begin for athletes who start college in 2027.
Judge Sweeney said athletes would suffer “irreparable harm” without the injunction, and she rejected the NCAA’s claim that adding more eligibility would cause major roster chaos.
For Kansas and plenty of other programs, the ruling only deepens an offseason already shaped by transfer portal movement and constant eligibility disputes. With appeals and more lawsuits still ahead, schools may have to keep their rosters fluid as they work toward the 2026-27 season.
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