Basketball

The NCAA has sued Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine in the Southern District of Ohio, challenging Executive Order 2026-04D, which let Ohio colleges grant a fifth season of eligibility to athletes from the high school class of 2022 despite the NCAA's age-based rule. The 39-page federal complaint asks a judge to declare the order unconstitutional and unenforceable, arguing it gives Ohio schools an unfair competitive advantage and undermines uniform eligibility standards nationwide. NCAA President Charlie Baker, a former Massachusetts governor, warned that allowing states or courts to unilaterally rewrite eligibility rules would make fair competition impossible.

The order, issued in response to lawsuits from Ohio athletes excluded from a fifth year under the NCAA's five-years-to-play-five model, has already influenced related litigation: the Ohio Supreme Court asked for briefing on how it affects Borovicanin v. NCAA, the lead case on the issue. The NCAA also used the dispute to push Congress toward passing the Protect College Sports Act, which would codify its eligibility policy and shield it from antitrust challenges.