The NCAA was granted an important — albeit temporary — win by the courts after a judge has denied former(?) Tennessee point guard Zakai Zeigler’s request for an injunction to play a fifth season of college basketball.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia sued in December to challenge the NCAA’s 5-to-play-4 eligibility rule, he did so under the argument that he began his post-high school career at the junior college level, and that NJCAA athletes should not be bound by NCAA rules. The courts agreed<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Zeigler’s case is different in that there were no extenuating circumstances in his college career. He signed with Tennessee out of high school in 2021-22 (after covid), played all four seasons for the Vols, and played a lot. He played 35 games in 2021-22, 30 in 2022-23, 36 in 2023-24, and 37 in 2024-25. No string of injuries, no coaching changes, no nothing. His legal argument is essentially that he can make lots of money by playing a fifth season of college basketball, and under the Sherman Antitrust Act limiting restrictions to free trade, he should be allowed to.<\/p>\n The legal argument, as this non-lawyer understands it, is that being a college basketball player is a job no different than being a plumber or a doctor, and there’s no law saying plumbers can only profit from their trade four times over a 5-year period.<\/p>\n And in denying Zeigler’s specific argument, the courts may have ultimately given a win to the argument that a 4-year limit on playing college athletics is an illegal restriction of trade.<\/p>\n This decision may prevent similar lawsuits, where athletes who played 4 seasons of DI are seeking additional seasons.<\/p>\n But it\u2019s another decision holding that NCAA eligibility rules are commercial in nature and subject to antitrust law.<\/p>\n Full order\ud83d\udc47https:\/\/t.co\/IjdcU96EUs<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Mit Winter (@WinterSportsLaw) June 12, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n Although Zakai Zeigler\u2019s request for a preliminary injunction was denied, the court ruled against the NCAA on an important point with respect to these athlete eligibility cases.<\/p>\n It held the 4 seasons of competition rule and other eligibility rules are subject to antitrust law. https:\/\/t.co\/YyXYqB202x<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/YQnhtzq7Qp<\/a><\/p>\n