Ten current and former college athletes have filed a class action lawsuit against the NCAA.
The lawsuit challenges the NCAA’s redshirt rule, which limits athletes to four seasons of play within a five-year eligibility window.
Plaintiffs argue the rule violates antitrust laws and unfairly restricts athletes’ ability to compete and earn NIL income all five years.
Two Vanderbilt football players are among 10 current and former college athletes suing the NCAA in a class action lawsuit, challenging its redshirt rules and allow athletes to compete in all five years of eligibility.
The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Nashville on Tuesday, Sept. 2, includes Vanderbilt linebacker Langston Patterson and defensive lineman Issa Ouattara as plaintiffs, as well as Hawaii quarterback Brayden Schager and former football, tennis and baseball players, according to court documents reviewed by USA TODAY Sports.
Patterson and Ouattara are currently in their fourth seasons, respectively, with Vanderbilt. It will be their final year of eligibility unless they play no more than four games this season, in which case they can redshirt and play in 2026. The suit argues the NCAA’s five-year rule, which gives athletes five years to play four seasons of their sport, ‘arbitrarily cut short college athletes’ ability to compete’ and violates antitrust laws.
Most sports don’t allow players that are redshirting to play at all in the given season. In college football, players can play up to four regular season games as well as up to five postseason contests.
According to the complaint provided to the Nashville Tennessean — part of the USA TODAY Network — the plaintiffs aren’t asking for unlimited eligibility, but rather want athletes to be able to play in all five seasons they are able to be part of a team. They argue since athletes are allowed to practice, participate in team activities and be in uniform for all of their games while utilizing a redshirt year — but not play in competition — they should be allowed to compete all five years.
The suit adds the rule forces players to pick as freshman to choose between having a fifth year of eligibility or playing immediately and not have an extra year, therefore forfeiting any possible earnings or income from name, image and likeness (NIL), as well as revenue sharing at their institution for all five years.
Meanwhile, players who redshirt can take advantage of earnings.
‘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,’ representing attorney Ryan Downton said in a statement. ‘Five years to practice, five years to graduate, five years to play.’
Downton also represented Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia in his challenge of NCAA rules regarding junior college years, which he won and was granted an extra year of eligibility.
There have been several lawsuits around the country that have challenged the NCAA eligibility requirements, mostly with players seeking to get another year. The results have varied, with some players granted another year while others have been denied. While those lawsuits have centered around one specific player, the suit filed on Sept. 2 wants to force the NCAA to change its rules.
‘The NCAA stands by its eligibility rules, including the five-year rule, which enable student-athletes to access the life-changing opportunity to be a student-athlete,’ an NCAA spokesperson said in a statement to USA TODAY Sports. ‘The NCAA is making changes to modernize college sports but attempts to dismantle widely supported academic requirements can only be addressed by partnering with Congress.’