A recent court ruling has temporarily taken two fifth-year Washington players out of the Huskies’ practice mix.
Recently returned defensive tackle Ta'ita'i Uiagalelei and kicker Grady Gross are no longer eligible to practice with the team after the decision, which stemmed from the latest turn in the NCAA eligibility fight. The ruling affects players who had been granted a fifth year under the class-wide injunction, and both Huskies were part of that group.
The backdrop is a messy one. Earlier this offseason, a court order against the NCAA opened the door for players from the recruiting Class of 2022 who enrolled in 2023-24 to receive a fifth year of eligibility.
The NCAA had already set new rules this offseason allowing five years of eligibility while eliminating redshirts and medical waivers, with players in the Class of 2027 set to operate fully under those new guidelines. Athletes who enrolled from 2023-26 were allowed to grandfather in and play a fifth year.
Because the cutoff came after the Class of ’22, some players went to court in their home states seeking that extra year. Then, earlier this summer, a U.S.
District Court judge in Colorado ruled against the NCAA in a class-wide injunction. The NCAA appealed, and the case moved to the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals, where the judge handling the appeal granted a stay of the earlier injunction.
That stay is what changed things for Washington. Players who were previously cleared under the injunction are now barred from practicing until the case is resolved. Players who filed suit in state courts remain eligible for their fifth year because those rulings are separate from the class-wide case.
According to a post on "X" from ESPN college sports reporter Pete Thamel, players in the lawsuit can seek reconsideration of the stay. But with the season so close, that process is unlikely to be completed before the opener, which means those fifth-year players probably won’t be back on the field in practice or in an official team role this season.
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