Patterson v. NCAA: Court Denies Preliminary Injunction Challenging Eligibility and Redshirt Rules

By Feiting Li, of FSU On January 15, 2026, the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee denied a motion for a preliminary injunction filed by several NCAA football players against the NCAA. The plaintiffs challenge the NCAA’s eligibility framework, including the five-year clock, the four-season limit, and the redshirt exception. They sought a fifth season of competition, not merely the four-game participation allowance available under the football redshirt rule. To obtain a pr