Judge clarifies NCAA eligibility order, which could blunt its impact on new '5 for 5' rule

The judge who granted the right to play another year of college sports to some athletes whose eligibility ran out last school year issued a new order Sunday that makes clear that does not include football players who signed pro contracts this summer then had a change of heart. U.S. District Judge Charlotte Sweeney responded to an NCAA request for clarity about her Friday ruling that granted a fifth year to athletes who graduated high school in 2022 and were not included in the new NCAA rule that allows five seasons of eligibility for Division I players. That decision, she said, still stands, but has no impact on other NCAA rules, including its prohibition on players signing pro contracts, then coming back to college. The ruling, as first written, had the potential to upend the upcoming college football season, where teams are starting camp planning on the so-called “five for five” rule to take effect beginning next fall. Extending it to players this fall granted hundreds a chance to re