Caught in the crosshairs of the NCAA's eligibility rules, former University of Hawaii quarterback Brayden Schager is a name standing out in a burgeoning showdown against the collegiate sports governing body. Schager, alongside Vanderbilt University's linebacker Langston Patterson and eight other former and current players, have taken legal action that throws a spotlight on the contentious redshirt regulations. In a lawsuit that could reach thousands of athletes, the plaintiffs allege that the NCAA's redshirt rule violates U.S. antitrust laws by imposing undue restrictions on their playing time and economic opportunities within a five-season window of college sports participation.
According to a recent report by Hawaii News Now, the class action lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee. The NCAA stands firm on its eligibility rules, suggesting that rather than litigation, modernization of college sports should occur through collaboration with Congress. Filed in the same court where Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia secured a preliminary injunction last December, the recent lawsuit opens a new chapter in the battle for student-athlete rights.
The contradiction in the NCAA's redshirt rule is apparent for football players, who can play up to nine games and still redshirt if their team reaches the national championship, a luxury not extended to athletes in other sports who can't participate for even a minute without losing their redshirt status. As The Indiana Lawyer elaborates, these restrictions compel athletes to choose between playing as a freshman or sitting out an entire season to preserve a year of eligibility. This is not mere gameplay, but a decision that impacts their financial prospects under the new Name, Image, Likeness (NIL) rules.
Stepping forward in this legal pursuit, Schager serves as testimony to the rule's impact. Having played six games in his freshman year, the threshold for a redshirt season was eclipsed, leaving him with no choice but to stride through the subsequent seasons without this safety net. "The NCAA has no basis to prohibit a player who is working just as hard as all of his teammates in practice, in the weight room, and in the classroom, from stepping on the field (or court) to compete against another school in one of those seasons," co-lead attorney Ryan Downton stated, as per The Indiana Lawyer.
With an end goal that includes all Division I athletes enrolled from fall 2022 onwards who have not used a redshirt year and will have eligibility for the 2026-27 academic year, the lawsuit seeks broad inclusion. The NCAA Division II Management Council is already considering a proposal to allow athletes to compete for five seasons within their first 10 semesters or 15 quarters of full-time enrollment. "It is time for NCAA Division I to follow suit," Downton urged, as noted by The Indiana Lawyer.
