CINCINNATI — The NCAA and Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost have requested an extension of the hold on the NCAA's transfer rule.
Both the AG and NCAA are asking a federal judge to extend an order to prohibit the enforcement of its transfer eligibility rule until the end of spring sports. On Wednesday, a West Virginia judge issued a 14-day temporary restraining order.
An extension to that 14-day order would allow all college athletes who have been sidelined to compete through the winter and spring sports seasons without worrying about their status.
"We don't want college athletes to get caught in the middle of this court case," Yost said. "The joint motion filed today signifies our shared commitment to ensuring that sports seasons operate smoothly during the legal proceedings."
It wasn’t immediately clear whether any of the affected players would try to compete during the 14-day window and what ramifications they could face if the NCAA would eventually prevail in the lawsuit.
University of Cincinnati players Aziz Bandaogo and and Jamille Reynolds's waivers were rejected by the NCAA in October, prompting the school to file an appeal to get both cleared to play. In mid-November 2023, the NCAA denied Bandaogo's appeal but then granted him eligibility on Nov. 20.
UC head coach Wes Miller said on Tuesday he was "relieved and excited" for the team and Bandaogo that his eligibility issues were resolved.
"It's been hard on our team and our program, but it's really been hard on him first," Miller said.
After the temporary restraining order was issued, UC Athletics said it was "evaluating the situation" as it pertained to Jamille Reynolds.
Seven states, including Ohio, filed a lawsuit alleging the transfer rule’s waiver process violated federal antitrust law.
NCAA rules allow underclassmen to transfer once without having to sit out a year. But an additional transfer as an undergraduate generally requires the NCAA to grant a waiver allowing the athlete to compete immediately. Without it, the athlete would have to sit out for a year at the new school.
Last January, the NCAA implemented stricter guidelines for granting those waivers on a case-by-case basis.
A hearing on the restraining order is scheduled for Dec. 27. If the judge grants the motion filed Friday, that hearing would be unnecessary, and a trial date for the lawsuit could be set after the spring sports season ends.
"Let the kids play," Yost said. "Let them compete."
