Super senior syndrome: athletes take NCAA to court over eligibility rules

College athletes that elect to use their allotted eligibility to the fullest, so-called “fifth-year seniors”, have always been part of the NCAA system. The COVID-19 pandemic and the opening of the NIL floodgates have made it possible for teams to have sixth, seventh and even eighth-year seniors on their rosters, their ages testing the boundaries of how old a typical college athlete should be. A handful of recent lawsuits from current college athletes have prompted the NCAA to seriously consider implementing a “five-in-five” rule that would give athletes five years to participate in five seasons of their sport(s), no exceptions. The waters are getting murkier between amateur athletics and a semi-professional league, and it’s becoming clear that it’s in the NCAA’s best interest to keep that discussion out of court.

Plus, on this week’s Fun Fr ...