A federal appeals court has temporarily paused a legal decision that would have allowed thousands of student-athletes to compete for a fifth season of college eligibility. The U.S. 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver granted the NCAA’s request to place the lower court’s order on hold while the appeals process proceeds.
This development introduces significant uncertainty for players who were previously informed they could extend their careers, including SMU safety Ahmaad Moses.
The original ruling by U.S. District Court Judge Charlotte Sweeney determined that athletes who graduated high school in 2022 and exhausted their four seasons of eligibility this spring are entitled to an additional year.
This decision followed legal challenges from players in that specific class, who argued they were unfairly denied the same eligibility relief provided to the Classes of 2020 and 2021 during the pandemic.
The NCAA is simultaneously moving toward a "five for five" model, which permits up to five seasons of play within a five-year window starting from initial enrollment or the year after a player’s 19th birthday.
Moses, an Arlington native, began his collegiate career at SMU in the fall of 2022 and completed four full seasons with the Mustangs. He served as a team captain and earned All-ACC first-team honors in 2025, recording 104 total tackles and five interceptions. Although he initially planned to enter the professional ranks, an injury prevented that path.
An MRI at the NFL scouting combine revealed a herniated disk requiring spinal fusion surgery, resulting in him going undrafted and remaining unsigned during the offseason.
