Federal appeals court pauses order granting extra year of NCAA eligibility for 2022 grads

DENVER — A federal appeals court on Friday temporarily halted a court order that would have granted thousands of athletes who left college after last season an extra year of eligibility — a key ruling that came only eight days before football season's opening kickoff.

The lawsuit was filed by players who graduated high school in 2022, whose college eligibility ended last season and who were not included in the NCAA’s controversial new rule that grants most players five years of eligibility beginning next season.