Judge Rejects Injunction in NCAA Redshirt Case, Five Players Ineligible for 2026

Overview

• U.S. District Judge William L. Campbell issued the denial Thursday in Nashville, blocking immediate relief in the Patterson v. NCAA case.
• The ruling covers Vanderbilt linebacker Langston Patterson, Wisconsin’s Nathanial Vakos, Lance Mason and Nick Levy, and Nebraska’s Kevin Gallic, each of whom played four seasons without a redshirt.
• The judge said an added year would reallocate limited roster spots and compensation under the House settlement, found plaintiffs had not shown less restrictive alternatives, and noted delays in filing.
• The broader antitrust lawsuit challenging the redshirt and Five-Year Rule continues, with additional plaintiffs from Vanderbilt and other sports seeking class-action status.
• The NCAA recorded another courtroom win, with judges siding with it in 26 of 36 eligibility injunctions, and FBS coaches this week urged increasing the redshirt-game limit from four to nine.