The Nebraska football team and Blye Hill might owe Big Ten rival Wisconsin a debt of gratitude.
Hill, a defensive back who started his college career with FCS level Saint Francis could be granted an extra year of eligibility following a court ruling that absolutely did grant Badgers’ defensive back Nyzier Fourqurean another season. The court ruling is the second that granted an NCAA player an extra year of eligibility and by extension gave a Husker an additional year. Earlier this offseason it was DeShon Singleton returning to NU after Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia won his court battle.
Earlier this week, Fourquean got an injunction granted on the NCAA by a federal judge, giving him an extra year of eligibility because he started his career at Divison 2 and essentially that meant he didn’t have the same opportunities to earn NIL money that he would have at the FBS level. It stands to reason that Blye Hill could get an extra season with Nebraska football using the same logic.
Nebraska football defensive back could get freshman year back
Unlike Pavia’s situation, Hill isn’t necessarily going to qualify using Fourquean’s situation. In the ruling, the judge wrote ordered the NCAA not to enforce its five-year rule in Fourqurean's case "absent a more meaningful demonstration that exceptions to that rule should not apply" to the plaintiff "given the unique circumstances surrounding his 2021-2022 season at Division II Grand Valley State University."
Hill is already set to get his sophomore season back due to the fact that he played in just one game. The transfer defensive missed all but the Wisconsin game because of an injury he suffered in last year’s spring game.
It’s unclear whether the Nebraska football team will even push its luck with Hill getting an extra year, but this latest ruling at least opens the door.