US · ongoing · ~6 min read
NCAA eligibility-rule challenges
2025–present · college athletics labor
College athletes are still suing over NCAA eligibility rules. A judge refused an early injunction in September 2026, and more athletes sued in October. The cases are open.
The story
These suits are separate from the House settlement about past NIL limits.
On September 22, 2026 an Idaho judge denied injunctions because the athletes' market proof was too thin for that stage.
Simpson and Pinion sued in Rhode Island on October 8, 2026.
Why it matters
Eligibility rules decide who can play and earn.
An injunction loss is not the end of the case.
What was claimed
The Five-Year Rule is a commercial restraint agreed by competing schools.
The other side
The NCAA says eligibility is an educational rule. The court wanted a defined labor market before blocking it.
What it means for you
A denied injunction means the rule stays in place while the case continues.
Bottom line
The NCAA eligibility cases are live. The September 2026 injunction denials did not dismiss them.
Timeline
22 September 2026
Injunctions denied
A District of Idaho judge denied preliminary injunctions in Tu'Akoi and Ramirez but did not dismiss the cases.
8 October 2026
More athletes sue
Simpson and Pinion filed in Rhode Island, following Elad v. NCAA from March 20, 2025.
Key dates
- Preliminary injunctions denied
- 22 September 2026
- Further complaints
- 8 October 2026
Formal snapshot
Summary: Athletes are challenging NCAA eligibility rules as restraints on a labor market. Injunctions were denied in Idaho on September 22, 2026, and new complaints were filed October 8, 2026. The cases are not dismissed.
Regulator / plaintiff argument: Plaintiffs say the Five-Year Rule and related limits are commercial restraints. A denial of an early injunction turned on proof of the labor market, not on immunity.
Outcome: The Idaho court said the athletes had not yet defined the market well enough for an injunction. The lawsuits continue, and more were filed in October.
Conduct tags
Laws referenced
- Sherman Act §1 — 15 U.S.C. §1
Companies
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