Back when the NCAA first started working on the five-for-five eligibility rules, Nebraska basketball wondered if the rule might mean the return for one more season for Jamarques Lawrence.
Eventually, the new rule explicitly ruled out guys like Lawrence, who had used up their eligibility, from getting another year. However, in an era when the NCAA is constantly overruled by one district court after another, there's always been a backdoor, should the former Husker want it.
That back door was kicked wide open on Thursday afternoon when an Ohio judge issued an injunction against the NCAA on behalf of 24 different players, allowing them to return for a five-season period of play. Should the former Nebraska player decide he wants to go the same route, there is at least now cover from a district court in Nebraska to make the same kind of ruling.
“NCAA athletes have a reasonable expectation that they will be treated fairly by the NCAA and that NCAA rules will be applied consistently, regardless of the athlete’s background before they attend an NCAA school and regardless of the year in which they graduated from high school,” the lawsuit that earned the injunction stated. “For the last four years, 2022 high school graduates have been competing against older, stronger, and more experienced players allowed five (and even six) seasons of competition due to a Covid-era waiver granted to all athletes graduating high school and enrolling in college between 2017 and 2020.
Jamarques Lawrence could have new Nebraska basketball eligibility argument
“The NCAA has finally announced plans to formally codify the five years of competition on a permanent basis, with a final vote expected on June 22 or 23. But in doing so, the NCAA plans to intentionally exclude all current college seniors who graduated high school in 2022 and have not redshirted. That decision violates the covenant of good faith and fair dealing under Ohio law.”
This ruling is not a national decree that would give Lawrence automatic eligibility. However, it does show that courts are willing to listen to this argument. Other lawsuits seeking similar rulings are likely being filed across the country. Nebraska did just have a slightly similar case go in favor of this kind of ruling.
Douglas County District Court judge Katie Benson dealt another blow to the NCAA's ability to determine how much eligibility a player has when she granted Omaha Mavericks player Isaac Ondekane an injunction, allowing him to return to the Mavs for one more season.
There is one big difference between Benson's ruling and the one in Ohio on Thursday. Benson gave Ondekane his extra year because he'd already gained one under the Diego Pavia ruling, which granted several JUCO players another year. Ondekane didn't play a game last year due to injury, hence his argument that he should get one more.
For now, there's no indication whether Jamarques Lawrence will fight for the extra year. It's also not clear whether he did get the year or if there is room for him on the Nebraska basketball roster. However, that could be secondary. Several of the players who were part of Thursday's ruling plan on entering the transfer portal.
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