The past few years, College Football has spent a ton of time in a new setting which is becoming a new normal. It's not the Rose Bowl or any of the NFL Stadiums but, rather the courtroom which has become a new normal in College Sports. Whether it has been over the House Settlement, failed NIL deals, or NCAA infractions, some of the legal battles over the past few years have become exhausting to follow for fans.
This Winter we were given a new storyline in the courtroom to follow as Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia followed a lawsuit against the NCAA to gain another season which resulted in a blanket waiver being given to former JUCO players allowing them an additional season of eligibility.
When Diego Pavia and the JUCO players were granted an extra season of eligibility, there was a flood of College players who filed suit requesting another season of eligibility for various reasons. This especially became an issue for College Basketball as the transfer portal became filled with players who technically didn't have any eligibility remaining.
Given that Diego Pavia and the former JUCO players were given the extra season of eligibility, it made for an interesting case with some of the other former athletes who had a reason to request an additional year of eligibility as many thought everyone could get granted the year. Instead, players across several sports have started to see their requests denied for various reasons.
On Friday, NC State defensive back Corey Coley had his motion for an injunction denied in North Carolina.
And now we have a decision on an eligibility rule lawsuit: Judge Dever of E.D.N.C. has denied NC State DB Corey Coley's motion for a preliminary injunction.
— Sam C. Ehrlich (@samcehrlich) June 6, 2025
His ruling rests in large part on a finding that eligibility rules are non-commercial and not subject to the Sherman Act. pic.twitter.com/FPmgGNfdp3
The news will also impact North Carolina colleges like Duke and UNC as the Blue Devils had 3 players file similar suits while North Carolina's J.J. Jones filed as well. Given that the Judge has now set a precedent in this case, North Carolina athletes going forward will have a difficult time proving they deserve the extra season.
Corey Coley's argument was that as he missed the 2nd half of the season, he should be allowed another year of eligibility which will help him as he earns NIL money and can continue auditioning to be an NFL Draft pick.
The issue for College Football is that there's now a lack of consistency across the board which doesn't ensure each team is on a level playing field. Allowing Pavia and the Junior College Athletes another season only opened up a can of worms where each player will take their case to court until the rules are either changed or they've exhausted all options.
This new trend is yet, another byproduct of the new NIL and transfer portal rules and will only continue until the NCAA finds a definite solution. In a world where everything continues to change around the sport, the NCAA will need to find a fix for this issue as well as certain players and programs will have an advantage over others.