HUNTINGTON, W.Va. –Marshall University Athletic Director Gerald Harrison addressed a lawsuit Tuesday challenging the NCAA’s new eligibility rule, which was filed by 12 former student-athletes from multiple sports.
News broke Monday that 12 former student-athletes are suing over the NCAA’s new “five years to play five seasons” eligibility rule, which was approved in June. The plaintiffs have asked the Cabell County Circuit Court for an injunction. Similar lawsuits have been filed in other states.
The players argue the new rule unfairly excludes them because they graduated from high school in 2022, have already played four seasons and are now being denied a fifth season of eligibility.
He said the university had to inform the players they were not eligible for another year under the new rule.
“They’ve expressed to use the desire to return, our job as the athletic department is to tell them that we’re NCAA members the rule is that passed is you guys aren’t eligible for that and those young folks did not want to stand still and went and got a lawyer and are suing for that right,” Harrison said on MetroNews Midday Tuesday afternoon.
Those players include Meredith Maier, Peyton Ilderton, Dewain “Boogie” Trotter, Bryce Blevins, Cam Harthan, Bailey Fisher, Johanna Strom, Blessing King, Paige Simpson, Ryan Holmes, Momo Diop and Hannah Wyler.
The students are represented by Beckley attorney Steve New.
Harrison said he supports the new rule because of the appeals process and the uncertainty it can create.
“The appeals process is just too much right now, there’s so much uncertainty, it hurts the system, it hurts the recruiting especially if it’s high school student athletes because somebody can always apply for another year, and there was nothing stopping that, then you have 18-year-olds competing against 26-year-olds, it kind of got out of hand,” Harrison said.
The appeals process allows institutions and student-athletes to challenge decisions involving eligibility, reinstatement, waivers and scholarship disputes.
The new rule also would eliminate redshirt seasons and most eligibility waivers. Exceptions would be allowed for pregnancy, military service or religious missions, provided the athlete does not participate in organized competition during the exception period.
Harrison said the NCAA is constantly changing.
He said keeping up with those changes can be difficult, but the university works to ensure it remains NCAA compliant.
“Every Tuesday, I have a cabinet meeting, and we have a person on the cabinet that just deals with NCAA compliance, and every meeting I have them update us on what’s new for NCAA compliance or what we should be on the lookout for to make sure that we have a chance to plan and prepare to the best of our ability,” Harrison said.
Harrison also acknowledged the challenges coaches face as they build their rosters for the upcoming academic year.
The NCAA has said making another change would create chaos.
Harrison said the new rule would take effect at the start of the 2026-27 athletic year.