In a surprising twist on Tuesday, a federal district judge blocked the NCAA from enforcing its ruling that would have made Rutgers safety Jett Elad ineligible—just hours after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit overturned that same judge’s earlier injunction in Elad’s favor.
The result: as of now, Elad is cleared to suit up this Saturday when Rutgers (5-6) hosts Penn State (5-6) in a must-win matchup for bowl eligibility.
But the situation remains fluid.
The day began with Third Circuit Judge Tamika Montgomery-Reeves, writing for a three-judge panel, concluding that District Judge Zahid Quraishi was wrong to grant Elad an injunction back in April. Montgomery-Reeves said Quraishi failed to identify the proper “relevant market” required for an antitrust review of NCAA rules limiting players to four seasons in a five-year span, with JUCO or Division II seasons counting toward that total.
Elad has exceeded those limits, having played five seasons in six years at four schools—Ohio University, Garden City CC, UNLV, and Rutgers. He sued the NCAA after Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia won a similar case and after Rutgers’ request for a waiver for Elad was denied. Elad has appeared in 11 games for Rutgers this season, and part of his recruitment included help in obtaining an NIL deal worth roughly $500,000 with Sir Henry Advertising Agency.
The panel rejected the NCAA’s claim that eligibility rules fall outside antitrust scrutiny because they relate to student-athlete education timelines. Montgomery-Reeves countered that since the Supreme Court’s 2021 Alston decision, college sports have become more commercialized, and NCAA rules are no longer entitled to special antitrust protection.
Still, she ruled that Quraishi made a critical mistake by not properly defining the market affected by NCAA eligibility restrictions. She wrote that he merely repeated an expert’s claim that the market consists of “all college football athletes,” which she argued is unsupported by precedent and fails to account for post-Alston changes in college sports.
The Third Circuit’s decision seemed to signal the end of Elad’s college career. Although he could seek a rehearing or appeal to the Supreme Court, neither path was realistic with the season ending and courts closing for Thanksgiving.
Yet, later that same day, Judge Quraishi issued a temporary restraining order blocking the NCAA from enforcing its eligibility rules against Elad until the NCAA can show why they should still apply. A hearing is set for next Tuesday—after Rutgers’ regular season ends—though a win against Penn State would make the Scarlet Knights bowl-eligible.
The order followed a hearing with attorneys, during which Elad’s lawyer, Kevin Marino, noted that a subpoena issued to Teamworks Innovations for market-relevant data had not been fulfilled. Without that information, Marino argued, Elad cannot properly present his antitrust case and requested that he be allowed to play in his final game on Nov. 29.
Unless the NCAA rapidly convinces Quraishi to reverse course or persuades the Third Circuit to intervene again, it appears Elad will take the field this weekend.
No Comment! Be the first one.