Michigan State AD J Batt on what he has learned so far on the job
Michigan State AD J Batt talks at Big Ten media days in Las Vegas, July 24, 2025.
A Washtenaw County judge has ruled that offensive lineman Blake Bustard will get to continue playing football at Eastern Michigan, with the result of this lawsuit potentially having huge implications on the college football landscape.
In her ruling, Judge Julia B. Owdziej temporarily blocked enforcement of the NCAA’s “five-year rule,” which states that athletes need to complete their four years of college eligibility within a five-year window. Bustard’s lawyers argued that Bustard, who played his first three years of college football at Division II Wayne State from 2021-23 before transferring to EMU for the 2024 season, deserved an extra year of eligibility.
“This is an outstanding victory. We believe this case should set precedent not just for Blake, but for every college athlete facing arbitrary rules that can derail their careers,” said Bustard’s attorney, Diana Florence. “The court made it clear that the NCAA cannot hide behind outdated regulations when they cause real, life-changing harm to student-athletes. This sets a precedent for fairness and common sense in college sports.”
According to MLive, the issue stems back to Bustard’s second season at Wayne State in 2021 (his first season was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic). Bustard played in five games during Wayne State’s season (mostly in “garbage time” according to his lawyers), which made him ineligible to declare 2021 a redshirt season according to NCAA rules — which state a player can play in no more than four games to declare a redshirt year.
The judge’s ruling essentially qualifies the 2021 season as a redshirt year for Bustard and allows him to play the 2025 season at EMU, where he is pursuing an MBA.
Though the ruling may not affect the NCAA’s five-year rule in totality, it could theoretically open the door to the NCAA adjusting the rule for all its athletes in the wake of a changing transfer portal and NIL landscape.
“This is bigger than one player or one team,” Florence said. “It’s about ensuring that every student-athlete has the opportunity to compete, grow, and pursue their goals without being unfairly cut short by bureaucracy.”
You can reach Christian Romo at cromo@freepress.com