An Indiana state court has granted approval for defensive linemen Stephen Daley and Kellan Wyatt to participate in the Indiana Hoosiers’ Big Ten Conference opener against Northwestern this Friday night. This decision allows both players to return to the field after facing eligibility concerns.
The legal fights began when college sports’ largest governing body said the new model would not apply to the freshman class of 2022-23. But if not, we lost some key guys last year and other guys stepped up. The NCAA announced in June it was going to adopt a new eligibility model allowing all athletes to compete for five college seasons over five years.
“We’ve gotten better since the first game for sure,” Cignetti said. Krothe’s ruling was expected this week. “You know, it sure will help if we have Wyatt and Daley. It’s hard to measure that. We’ll find out we think soon. Colorado District Judge Charlotte Sweeney then ruled some members from that freshman class could receive fifth year of eligibility, a decision that led some players in NFL training camps to consider resuming their college careers. Eventually, Sweeney issued a clarification that pro athletes were not covered by her ruling.
Both testified in court last week, but when the decision did not come down before the game, they were held out.
Daley and Wyatt’s Eligibility Update
Daley and Wyatt, former starters on last season’s national championship team, faced season-ending injuries prior to Indiana’s playoff run. As a result, neither player was selected in April’s NFL draft, nor did they secure contracts to participate in NFL offseason workouts or training camp. Indiana Hoosiers coach Curt Cignetti has consistently expressed support for their pursuit of an extra year of eligibility, reiterating this stance following last weekend’s game.
