For the first time, the NCAA is taking a sitting state governor to court.
Three days after Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signed an executive order aimed at letting the state’s universities challenge the NCAA’s eligibility ruling for fifth-year athletes, the organization fired back Friday by announcing a lawsuit against DeWine. NCAA president Charlie Baker said the filing seeks "injunctive and declaratory relief for three independent grounds."
The 41-page complaint says DeWine’s order "unlawfully burdens interstate commerce in violation of the Commerce Clause in the US Constitution by improperly conferring an advantage on Ohio in-state institutions" and also violates the First Amendment by allowing Ohio universities and schools to get around NCAA rules.
The NCAA further argues "Governor DeWine lacks the authority to permit Ohio colleges and universities to disregard the rules they have agreed to follow by rostering ineligible student-athletes."
Earlier this year, the NCAA changed its eligibility rules with its five-for-five decision, an age-based model. That move led many athletes from the 2022 class to lose lawsuits seeking another year of eligibility, which in turn produced injunctions across multiple sports.
In Ohio, the response to DeWine’s order was broad. There are eight Division I programs in the state, and all reportedly supported the move to challenge the NCAA’s eligibility rules.
Ohio State basketball coach Jake Diebler and football coach Ryan Day said in August they would both make roster decisions in the best interest of their teams.
Lt. Gov. Jim Tressel told ESPN, "It's important we do not deprive our current student-athletes of the same opportunities enjoyed by their peers."
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Ohio State Faces Two Pressing Questions In Huge Indiana Test
Jeremiah Smith has become one of the most important pieces in Ohio States offense, and his involvement figures to be a major storyline in Bloomington. The Buckeyes have been looking for ways to keep their passing game balanced and dangerous, and getting Smith the ball is part of that equation as they head into a matchup that carries real weight after last seasons Big Ten title game loss to Indiana.
Julian Sayins protection will matter just as much, because Indiana can make life uncomfortable if Ohio State lets pressure reach the quarterback too often. On the other side of the ball, the Buckeyes also need to close quickly on Indiana quarterback Josh Hoover and create enough disruption to tilt the game their way, with this trip offering both a chance at revenge and a test of whether Ohio State can handle the kind of pressure that usually decides big conference games. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Has A Chance To Shake Up The Big Ten Race
The Big Ten race is tightening at exactly the moment Ohio State would prefer some breathing room, and Indiana suddenly has a chance to make the leagues path a lot more complicated. The weekend slate comes with plenty of moving parts, from quarterback uncertainty elsewhere in the national picture to Ohio States own offensive line questions, but the Hoosiers are now positioned as one of the teams that could force the conversation to shift in a hurry.
For Buckeyes fans, that makes this a scoreboard-watching weekend as much as anything else. Alongside the predictions for the games themselves, the broadcasts are also expected to stir up talk about a possible 24-team College Football Playoff expansion, adding another layer to a week already loaded with speculation. If Indiana does its part, Ohio State may find the margin for error in the conference race getting thinner than it already is. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Has No Room For These Mistakes Against Indiana
Indiana has been steady enough to make opponents pay for mistakes, and Ohio State knows the margin for error is getting tighter by the week. The preview points to quarterback Josh Hoover as the engine of the Hoosiers offense, with receivers Charlie Becker and Nick Marsh giving him reliable targets and defensive lineman Stephen Daley helping set the tone on the other side of the ball.
For the Buckeyes, the message is pretty clear: the discipline has to be better if they want any shot at ending Indianas winning streak. Penalties and turnovers are the obvious danger points in a game like this, where every wasted snap can change the feel of the afternoon and hand a confident opponent more chances to control it. [Read more 🡒]