An Indiana state court has granted a preliminary injunction allowing more than 90 athletes, including Indiana Hoosiers defensive linemen Stephen Daley and Kellan Wyatt, to play in upcoming seasons. The ruling by Monroe Circuit Court Judge Kara Krothe on Wednesday grants these athletes a fifth year of eligibility, a decision the NCAA is expected to appeal.
The injunction clears the path for Daley, Wyatt, and dozens of other athletes across multiple sports, including football, soccer, cross country, field hockey, swimming, and basketball, to return to competition for the 2026-27 seasons. Daley and Wyatt had been held out of Indiana's most recent game after a temporary restraining order expired before the decision was made.
Both players, who were starters on Indiana's 2025 national championship team, suffered season-ending injuries before the team's playoff run. Neither was selected in the NFL draft or signed as an undrafted free agent. Their ability to play hinges on continued court orders, as they would lose roster spots and scholarship opportunities if the relief is denied.
Indiana coach Curt Cignetti has previously expressed support for the athletes' pursuit of an extra year of eligibility. "We’ve gotten better since the first game for sure," Cignetti stated recently. "It sure will help if we have Wyatt and Daley. It’s hard to measure that. We’ll find out we think soon."
This ruling is part of a broader legal challenge facing the NCAA regarding athlete eligibility. In June, the NCAA announced a new eligibility model intended to allow all athletes five seasons over five years. However, legal disputes arose when the governing body stated this model would not apply to the freshman class of 2022-23. A previous ruling by Colorado District Judge Charlotte Sweeney, which allowed some athletes from that class a fifth year, was later clarified to exclude professional athletes and subsequently stayed by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit.
Judge Krothe wrote in her opinion that the athletes are eligible under the NCAA Manual, and the organization is breaching its contractual obligations by denying them the opportunity. She noted that the harm to the NCAA from the injunction is minimal, as the organization regularly grants waivers for similar eligibility extensions to large numbers of athletes.