Gophers wing Cade Tyson’s bid for another season got a chilly reception Tuesday in Denver, and legal experts who watched the hearing think the NCAA came away in control.
No ruling was issued in the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals hearing in Wisne v. NCAA, but the three-judge panel seemed sympathetic to the NCAA’s side during oral arguments in the antitrust fight over extra eligibility.
At the center of the dispute is the NCAA’s new five-for-five rule, which gives student-athletes five seasons in a five-year window. The plaintiffs are arguing that antitrust law bars the NCAA from excluding them from that extra season simply because they started college before the rule took effect.
On X, Sportico legal expert Michael McCann said, “I think the NCAA will win 3-0 and it won’t be close,” and added, “With attorney Rakesh Kilaru arguing for the NCAA, the NCAA had a great day in court. The nationwide injunction is highly likely to be reversed (in my opinion).”
The case has already moved quickly through the courts. In early August, Judge Charlotte Sweeney issued a preliminary injunction that briefly gave players in the class of 2022 a fifth year of eligibility this season. By late August, though, the NCAA had won a stay of that injunction, which left the players ineligible again.
Tuesday’s hearing didn’t change that status, and for now, that’s the reality for Tyson and others in the class.
One of the biggest signals from the panel came from Judge Nancy Moritz, who described the plaintiffs’ market definition as “over-broad.” Sam Ehrlich, a former lawyer now teaching at Boise State, said that point matters because it goes to a crucial antitrust requirement.
Tyson, Minnesota’s top scorer last season, is still working out with the Gophers while hoping to play this year. He put up nearly 20 points per game for the U during his fourth college season.
Minnesota’s first exhibition is Thursday against Omaha at The Barn, with another coming Oct. 23 against Creighton in Omaha. The Gophers then open the regular season Nov. 2 against North Dakota.
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Minnesota Could Get A Huge Cade Tyson Boost If This Works
Cade Tysons Minnesota run could still get a notable twist, but it is no longer just about what happens on the floor this season. Tyson is among a group of college athletes challenging the NCAA in a lawsuit that could open the door to an additional year of eligibility, a case built around the idea that they should be treated as the last incoming class before the sport moved to a new five-year framework.
The issue is now in front of a three-judge appeals panel in Colorado, where the legal and market ripple effects have already become part of the discussion. For Minnesota, the outcome matters because it could shape not only Tysons future, but also the broader roster planning that hangs over programs waiting to see how this eligibility fight is resolved. [Read more 🡒]
Greg Johnson Gives Gophers A Needed Bright Spot Up Front
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The senior interior lineman has drawn strong grades from Pro Football Focus, giving Minnesota at least one dependable presence in the middle of the line as the season reaches its break. That kind of performance matters for a team trying to keep its offense steady while the rest of the pieces sort themselves out, and it has also started to put Johnson on the radar as one of the more intriguing draft-eligible linemen to watch from this group. [Read more 🡒]
Gophers Bowl Hopes Took A Hit After Purdue Loss
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Some forecasters still have Minnesota in the mix for bowls in the East or South, while others are beginning to question whether the Gophers will get there at all. The top-end dream remains especially remote, and the road to a major New Years destination now depends on help elsewhere and a clean finish by Minnesota after recent losses have narrowed the margin for error. [Read more 🡒]