Eleven Division I athletes, including Minnesota guard Cade Tyson and Northern Colorado forward Brock Wisne, filed a federal class-action lawsuit in Colorado challenging the NCAA's new eligibility rules.
The suit targets the association's recently adopted model that grants athletes five years to complete five seasons of competition. The rule excludes players who exhausted their eligibility during the 2025-26 season, leaving this group without an additional year.
Tyson, a 6-foot-7 guard who averaged 19.6 points and 5.4 rebounds for the Golden Gophers last season after stops at Belmont and North Carolina, is among the named plaintiffs. Wisne, a 6-foot-9 forward, posted 16.2 points and 6.4 rebounds per game for Northern Colorado while earning second-team All-Big Sky honors.
The athletes argue the new framework arbitrarily singles them out, blocking further college play, scholarships, and associated NIL opportunities. The complaint states they face irreparable harm by losing the chance to compete alongside teammates who benefit from the change and to finish degrees or earn compensation tied to participation.
This filing follows a July 9 preliminary injunction from an Ohio judge that allowed 24 men's and women's basketball players to continue careers and enter the transfer portal. The NCAA has indicated it does not plan to alter course on the eligibility model.
If successful, the federal action could open the door for a large group of athletes across sports to regain eligibility and enter the portal for the 2026-27 season. The case centers on claims that the rules unlawfully deny educational, athletic, and financial benefits available under the updated system.
Players from multiple sports joined the action, but the basketball contingent highlights immediate roster implications as teams prepare for the upcoming campaign amid ongoing legal uncertainty over who can suit up.