Judge Approves Blocking NCAA Transfer Rules Until After Spring Sports Season
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The Center Square [By Jon Styf] –
A judge approved a request from both parties to extend a block of the NCAA’s transfer rules until the case can be fully heard after the spring sports season.
Attorneys general from seven states and the NCAA jointly requested the extension after a federal judge in West Virginia ordered a 14-day temporary restraining order against the rule last week.
The antitrust lawsuit is led by Ohio with West Virginia serving as local counsel in the case along with Tennessee, North Carolina, Illinois, Colorado and New York.
“This is a great day for student athletes—they will finally be able to compete in the sport they love,” West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey said of the judge’s order. “It’s the right thing to do and I couldn’t be more pleased with the outcome.”
The attorneys general were challenging the NCAA’s rules regarding athletes who transfer a second time and are not immediately eligible to compete, saying that those rules are enforced arbitrarily with some waivers approved and some not for unclear reasons.
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost previously sent a letter to the NCAA challenging the waiver denial of Aziz Bandaogo, a 7-foot center who wanted to play basketball at the University of Cincinnati.
Morrisey made a similar appeal after the NCAA denied potential West Virginia University basketball player RaeQuan Battle eligibility.
The injunction also prohibits the NCAA from enforcing its Restitution Rule, which can take away wins, statistics and other benefits.
About the Author: Jon Styf, The Center Square Staff Reporter – Jon Styf is an award-winning editor and reporter who has worked in Illinois, Texas, Wisconsin, Florida and Michigan in local newsrooms over the past 20 years, working for Shaw Media, Hearst and several other companies. Follow Jon on Twitter @JonStyf.
