Former Miami tight end Alex Bauman is taking his eligibility fight to court and, at the same time, lining up a move into the transfer portal.
Bauman is filing for a temporary restraining order against the NCAA and asking a Florida court to clear the way for a fifth season of college football under an age-based eligibility argument. His theory centers on the “five-for-five” model, which would begin a player’s eligibility clock at initial full-time college enrollment or at the start of the academic year after the player turns 19, whichever comes first. Bauman played three seasons at Tulane and one at Miami.
The move comes with Miami set to open the 2026 season Friday night at Stanford.
Bauman’s agent, Johnny Townsend, said in a post shared by Transfer Portal that Bauman is pursuing the TRO for another season and to enter the NCAA transfer portal.
Last season, the New Jersey native caught 18 passes for 166 yards and one touchdown for Miami. Across four college seasons split between Tulane and Miami, he has 81 receptions for 776 yards and 14 touchdowns.
His most productive stretch came at Tulane from 2022-24, when he totaled 63 catches for 610 yards and 13 touchdowns. That included a seven-touchdown junior year in 2024. As a freshman, he also delivered one of the signature plays of his college career, hauling in the 6-yard touchdown with nine seconds left to beat USC 46-45 in the 2023 Cotton Bowl.
Bauman arrived at Tulane as a three-star recruit out of Red Bank Catholic High School in the 2022 class, choosing the Green Wave over offers from Notre Dame, Rutgers and Wake Forest.
His case adds another chapter to the growing wave of legal challenges around NCAA eligibility. Similar lawsuits around the country have targeted eligibility clocks and restrictions on athletes who once signed professional contracts.
A restraining order would only be a temporary step. Bauman would still need a school willing to add him, along with an eligibility ruling that holds up through any further NCAA or conference review.
For Miami, the timing matters. The Hurricanes return Elija Lofton and other tight ends from last season’s playoff roster, but the room has thinned out after Luka Gilbert suffered a season-ending injury.
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