The NCAA’s latest move in Colorado has thrown another wrench into the Class of 2022 eligibility mess, and for Kentucky linebacker Alex Afari, it’s a brutal development.
The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals granted the NCAA’s request for a stay in the Colorado class-action case that had given all 2022 players a fifth year of eligibility. With that stay in place, players who still need eligibility protection and haven’t landed a temporary restraining order through a state case no longer have federal cover. For Afari, that means he is not considered eligible right now.
Afari had recently rejoined the Kentucky football team for a fifth season under the protection of Judge Charlotte Sweeney’s July 31 ruling. Because he did not enter the transfer portal, he never joined one of the state lawsuits that have been popping up around the country.
That decision now leaves him exposed while the legal fight keeps moving. An expedited appeal hearing has already been scheduled.
Mark Mitchell’s situation is different, but it’s just as unsettled. He is not currently eligible either, though that could change if Judge Brian Edwards rules in his favor today in the Jefferson County lawsuit filed last week.
Mitchell and 12 other plaintiffs are asking for a temporary restraining order, a temporary injunction, and a permanent injunction against the NCAA. If Edwards sides with the plaintiffs, Mitchell could get his own TRO, enter the portal, and in theory commit to Kentucky.
The hearing was held last Friday, and the two sides were already on different pages. The NCAA asked for more time to file additional briefing, while the plaintiffs wanted a ruling from the bench right away.
Judge Edwards split the difference, giving both sides until Tuesday to submit more written arguments and saying he would issue his opinion by the end of the week. That brings the case to today, with Kentucky waiting on what could be a pivotal decision.
Even then, the NCAA could still seek a stay in the Kentucky case.
For now, the players from the Class of 2022 who have won temporary restraining orders in state lawsuits remain eligible for a fifth season. That group includes Jaxon Kohler, who won his California case and committed to BYU yesterday; Donovan Dent and Xaivian Lee, who were part of that same lawsuit; Jalen Washington, who won in Tennessee and transferred from Vanderbilt to Tennessee; and the group of football players who played in the NFL and won their Louisiana case on Thursday. Mitchell could join them if Judge Edwards rules for the plaintiffs.
The players who are not covered by those state lawsuits, or who have lost them, are still out of luck for now. That list includes Afari, Denzel Aberdeen of Florida, Seth Trimble of Louisville, and Keyshawn Hall.
Come on, Judge Edwards. You got this.
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