Cade Tyson, last season’s leading scorer for the Gophers men’s basketball team, still doesn’t know if he will be eligible to play, and exhibition games are already on the calendar this month. An Oct. 13 hearing in federal appeals court is the next big date that could finally clear things up.
The NCAA’s New Rules and the Legal Rollercoaster
So, what’s even going on? The NCAA dropped a new age-based eligibility model earlier this year. Generally, athletes can compete for a continuous five-year period starting with their initial full-time college enrollment or when they hit 19. Sounds simple enough, right? Except the transition rules totally left out athletes like Tyson, who burned through their eligibility under the *old* rules during the 2025-26 academic year. Tyson was part of the 2022 high school recruiting class and already played four seasons of college ball. Now, he’s one of many athletes arguing they should get a fifth year under this shiny new NCAA model.
It’s been a wild ride in the courts. Back in July, Tyson was one of a dozen athletes named in a federal lawsuit against the NCAA out in Colorado. A federal judge actually granted a preliminary injunction that stopped the NCAA from enforcing its eligibility rules against qualified 2022 high school class athletes. For a minute there, it looked like a win! But then, the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals stepped in and granted the NCAA’s request to *stay* that injunction. What does that mean? Basically, if your eligibility hinged on that Colorado injunction, you’re back to being ineligible unless you’ve got some other court relief going on. Talk about a gut punch.
Tyson’s Still Practicing, But the Clock’s Ticking
Despite all this, Niko Medved and the Gophers confirmed in early September that Tyson has re-enrolled in classes at the University of Minnesota and is actually practicing with the team. How nuts is that? He’s out there, grinding, with his entire season up in the air. The good news is, any roster restrictions or money concerns are cleared; if he plays college basketball, it’ll be for Minnesota.
But let’s be real, the clock is ticking. The Gophers have exhibitions looming on Oct. 15 against Omaha and Oct. 23 against Creighton. The regular season opener is Nov. 2 against North Dakota. Minnesota’s definitely itching for some clarity on Tyson’s status so they can figure out their rotation for the 2026-27 season. Who wouldn’t be?
The Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver is scheduled to hear arguments on Oct. 13 in *Wisne v. NCAA*, the case where Tyson is a named plaintiff. This hearing doesn’t guarantee a ruling right away, but the arguments should give everyone a better idea of how the appeals court feels about this whole dispute. They’re looking at the NCAA’s appeal of that preliminary injunction that briefly cracked the door open for Tyson and others to get another season. We’ve seen similar cases popping up nationwide, with courts landing all over the map. Just recently, an Ohio court reversed an injunction that would’ve let about two dozen Class of 2022 athletes pursue a fifth season. That unanimous panel sided with the NCAA, so you know this fight isn’t over. Keep your eyes peeled for Oct. 13, because this whole Gophers season could hinge on it.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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