Is the fifth-year injunction still in effect?

The Colorado federal injunction in Wisne v. NCAA has been stayed since August 21, 2026, while the Tenth Circuit decides the appeal it heard on October 13. State-court orders for individual plaintiffs are separate and, in several states, remain in effect.

Can a class of 2022 player over age 24 get a fifth year?

Not under the Colorado order. The August 2 clarification kept the NCAA age rule in place, so class members over 24 stayed ineligible, per Kutak Rock.

Does a fifth-year ruling guarantee a roster spot?

No. Schools still have to fit the player under the House settlement roster limit and revenue-sharing cap, which the clarification left in force.

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Who got a fifth year of college basketball eligibility in 2026?

Q: Who got a fifth year of college basketball eligibility in 2026?

Named plaintiffs in a Tennessee state case and, for a short time, the high school class of 2022 under a Colorado federal order. The Tenth Circuit stayed the federal order on August 21, 2026, so athletes with their own state-court orders are the ones still covered.

By McKinley Malbrough III, J.D., MS-HRM · Certified WNBA player agent · Former certified NBA agent

Published October 17, 2026. Last updated October 17, 2026.

Short answer

Two July 31, 2026 rulings gave a fifth college season to athletes the NCAA's age-based rule shut out: a Tennessee state court for named plaintiffs and a Colorado federal court for the high school class of 2022. The Tenth Circuit paused the federal order August 21, so athletes now rely mainly on their own state-court orders.

Why did some basketball players lose a fifth year?

Athletes who used their final season under the old rules in 2025-26 got no added eligibility when the NCAA adopted its age-based model on June 23, 2026, per the NCAA. Players who began college in 2022-23 and finished four seasons by 2025-26 sat in that group. They are the high school class of 2022.

The new model gives up to five years of eligibility to athletes who enroll no later than the academic year after their 19th birthday, and it removed redshirt rules and extension waivers, per the NCAA. The five-for-five rule article explains how the clock works. This article covers the narrower question of players already in college whose four seasons ended before the new model applied. Under the old rules, schools had until July 31, 2026 to file season-of-competition and clock-extension waiver requests, per the NCAA.

What did the two July 31 rulings do?

Two courts ruled within hours of each other, and Yahoo Sports reported that the rulings gave about 30 players a fifth season, per Yahoo Sports.

Tennessee state court. A 33-page order recognized the named plaintiffs as eligible for 2026-27, barred the NCAA from enforcing its restitution rule against them and their schools this season, and opened the transfer portal for those players until 8 a.m. on August 10, per the AP. The judge found the NCAA had not applied its eligibility rules uniformly, pointing to a 2025-26 waiver for players who spent a season at a junior college or NAIA school.
Colorado federal court. In Wisne v. NCAA, a federal judge certified a nationwide class of athletes who began in 2022-23, competed in Division I, and finished four seasons by the end of 2025-26, then ordered the NCAA to treat them as eligible, per Kutak Rock.

The Tennessee order came from a state court and covers its named plaintiffs. The Colorado order came from a federal court and covered a nationwide class. That difference in reach matters again below.

A college player dunks in front of a crowded arena — A court order does not add a roster spot. A player still has to fit under the school's roster limit and cap. Photo: Trevor Cokley, public domain.

What did the August 2 clarification keep in place?

Two days later the Colorado judge issued a clarification order, and it kept most of the NCAA's other rules intact. Class members over age 24 stayed ineligible, athletes who had signed a professional contract stayed ineligible, and transfer rules still applied, per Front Office Sports.

Schools also stayed bound by the House settlement revenue-sharing cap and roster limits. An athlete who did not enter the portal during the sport's window could not transfer, but could return to the previous school, per Kutak Rock. So the fifth year was never a ticket to any roster. The NCAA's chief legal officer said the roster limits and benefits cap "remain fully in effect," per Front Office Sports.

Who has a fifth year now?

Far fewer athletes than on August 1. On August 21, 2026, the Tenth Circuit stayed the Wisne injunction in a 2-1 decision, per Legalink. The NCAA said Division I returned to age-based rules "effective immediately," that class members who had competed under the injunction were no longer eligible, and that schools would face no violations for games played before the stay, per Yahoo Sports.

Where fifth-year orders stood as last reported in mid-October 2026
Who	Court	Status
Class of 2022 relying on Wisne	Federal, Colorado	Injunction stayed since August 21, per Legalink
Named Tennessee plaintiffs	State, Tennessee	Order remains in effect, per Legalink
Plaintiffs with California, Georgia and Louisiana orders	State courts	Orders remain in effect, per Legalink
Plaintiffs in the Ohio state case	State, Ohio	Injunction stayed pending appeal by the Ohio Court of Appeals, per Legalink

A sports attorney quoted by Yahoo Sports called the result a "two-tier system," with athletes who hold their own court orders on one side and those relying only on Wisne on the other. The Louisiana ruling covered at least 16 plaintiffs, per the same report.

A conference tournament final seen from the upper seats, with laptops lined along press row — Orders in different courts reach different players, so check which order covers you. Photo: Air Force, Master Sgt. Chance Babin, public domain.

What should a player with a fifth-year claim do now?

Start with the order that covers the player, because the answer depends on one player's facts: the class year, age, any professional contract, whether the player entered the portal and which court, if any, issued an order. The school's compliance office and an attorney who handles eligibility cases are the people who can answer it.

Agents notice that a court order draws all the attention while the roster spot draws none, yet a school must fit the player under its roster limit and revenue-sharing cap before he can suit up. Four checks come first:

Confirm the player's age against the age-24 limit that the clarification left in place.
Confirm that no professional contract was signed, including overseas deals.
Confirm whether the player entered the portal during the sport's window, using the portal rules.
Ask the school, in writing, what happens to the revenue-share agreement if an order is reversed.

The Tennessee order barred the NCAA from enforcing its restitution rule against the plaintiffs and their schools this season, so a player who relies on a court order should know what a reversal would cost the school and the player.

Where does the fight go next?

The Tenth Circuit heard the NCAA's appeal on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, and had not ruled as of October 14, per KTVU. The same report says Ohio's governor signed an executive order that lets the state's colleges allow 2022 graduates a fifth season, and the NCAA's president said the governor "cannot legislate NCAA eligibility rules."

Congress could also settle the question. The Senate-passed bill would set a five-year eligibility window, as the Protect College Sports Act article explains. Until a court or Congress acts, plan around the order that actually names the player.

A player with extra eligibility still needs one of the spots under the roster limit, as the roster limit guide explains.

Sources

Data current as of October 17, 2026. Figures are linked where each one appears. Leagues and regulators update these rules; check the source before relying on a number.