The NCAA has denied Ole Miss\u2019 appeal for an additional year of eligibility for Trinidad Chambliss, putting the quarterback\u2019s future in the hands of a Mississippi court.<\/p>\n
The NCAA confirmed the decision, first reported by ESPN, on Wednesday night.<\/p>\n
Ole Miss\u2019 original request for Chambliss to be granted a sixth year of eligibility was denied last month. The decision came the day after Miami eliminated the Rebels from the College Football Playoff semifinals. Chambliss has already spent five seasons in college (four at Division II Ferris State and one at Ole Miss).<\/p>\n
Soon after the decision, attorneys for Chambliss\u2019 filed a lawsuit against the NCAA in Lafayette County, Mississippi, where the university is located, challenging the decision. A preliminary injunction hearing is scheduled for Feb. 12 in the Mississippi Chancery Court. If granted, that could clear the way for Chambliss to play next season while his case is pending.<\/p>\n
Chambliss\u2019 agent Fletcher Smith II told The Athletic, \u201cTrinidad looks forward to having his day in court and telling his story,\u201d in response to the NCAA\u2019s decision on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
The NCAA, when asked for comment, referred back to a statement made in January, saying, in part<\/a>, \u201cApproval requires schools to submit medical documentation provided by a treating physician at the time of a student\u2019s incapacitating injury or illness, which was not provided.\u201d<\/p>\n Ole Miss pushed back on that assertion in a statement Wednesday night, calling the NCAA\u2019s decision \u201cindefensible in light of the undisputed facts.\u201d<\/p>\n The school said Chambliss should have been granted a sixth year due to his missing the entire 2022 season, \u201cwhile suffering from severe, incapacitating medical conditions. Those conditions were fully and contemporaneously documented by his treating physician.\u201d<\/p>\n Statement from Ole Miss Athletics. \ud83c\uddf9\ud83c\uddf9 pic.twitter.com\/3ChGgW0YHb<\/a><\/p>\n