Thirteen North Carolina college athletes are asking a Guilford County judge for one more shot at the season they say the NCAA’s new eligibility rules took away. The lawsuit could determine whether players from several in-state programs can return to competition — and potentially preserve another year of NIL income, development and professional opportunities.
More than 50 athletes nationwide are part of the age-based eligibility challenge filed in Guilford County Superior Court, according to Queen City News. The North Carolina group includes athletes connected to N.C. State, UNC Charlotte, High Point, Appalachian State, Elon, N.C. A&T, Wake Forest and UNC Wilmington.
The NCAA Rule That Sparked The Lawsuit
The dispute follows the NCAA Division I’s June 23 approval of an age-based eligibility model that generally gives athletes up to five years of eligibility based on when they enroll or reach the age-based trigger. The model eliminates traditional season-of-competition tracking, redshirt rules and several waiver categories, including medical hardship and eligibility-extension waivers, as outlined by the NCAA.
The transition is where the plaintiffs say the system becomes unfair. Under the NCAA’s own framework, athletes who used their final season under the old rules during the 2025-26 academic year receive no additional eligibility, while athletes with eligibility remaining may receive whichever system benefits them more.
That distinction leaves the high school class of 2022 at the center of the fight. The lawsuit includes players such as High Point’s Owen Aquino, N.C. State’s Ven-Allen Lubin and Trejuan Holloman, and Charlotte’s Major Freeman, with the plaintiffs arguing that they competed against older athletes who received extra seasons while being denied the same opportunity themselves.
Guilford County Hearing Set For Wednesday
The plaintiffs are seeking both temporary and permanent injunctions that would allow the athletes to play this season, according to Queen City News. A Guilford County hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, putting the case on a fast track as schools finalize rosters and players weigh whether they still have time to find a team.
Other Courts Are Already Shaking Up Eligibility
The North Carolina filing arrives amid a growing patchwork of rulings around the country. On July 9, an Ohio judge granted a preliminary injunction for 24 men’s and women’s basketball players challenging the same age-based model, allowing those athletes an opportunity to enter the transfer portal, as reported by The Washington Post.
The NCAA has said it plans to challenge that ruling and defended its transition policy in court filings, arguing that players who completed their fourth season in 2025-26 had reason to understand it was their last. The association also said it does not intend to change course, according to The Washington Post.
What Is At Stake For The Athletes
The Guilford County case does not guarantee any plaintiff a roster spot or a professional contract. But an injunction could reopen a final season for athletes who say the NCAA’s rule change arrived after they had already played four seasons under a system that allowed a fifth year for a redshirt or other approved exception.
The hearing will be an early test of whether North Carolina courts view the NCAA’s transition rules as a routine policy change or an unfair barrier to competition. Until a judge rules, the athletes’ fifth-season plans remain caught in the NCAA’s rapidly changing eligibility maze.
