Tennessee star guard Zakai Zeigler filed a lawsuit last Tuesday against the NCAA seeking a fifth year of eligibility. 

What is Ziegler's basis for the 5th year?

He wants to play while he does graduate school and is arguing that since he did not redshirt he should be able to use the 5th year of his eligibility to continue playing.

Just now, JagNation said:

He wants to play while he does graduate school and is arguing that since he did not redshirt he should be able to use the 5th year of his eligibility to continue playing.

Seems reasonable, especially in this era where multiple college athletes get five or six years of eligibility for whatever reasons. 

I also think NIL is a big factor, he claimed that since it started all of those Covid year athletes got an extra year to earn NIL. Interested to see how this goes and the precedent it sets if so.

Isn't the NCAA using the dartboard system to decide these anyway.  Gave some guy at Auburn a 7th year but denied Aly Khalifa an additional year.  Guess the dart just hit in the wrong place.

On 5/27/2025 at 1:22 PM, JagNation said:

He wants to play while he does graduate school and is arguing that since he did not redshirt he should be able to use the 5th year of his eligibility to continue playing.

The only past exceptions have been for missing significant time due to injury, an extra Covid year for everyone or from a court ruling Juco time doesn’t count against eligibility. None of those fit this situation. 

What happens if he gets his injunction to play, plays the season and then is ultimately ruled against. Would Tennessee have to vacate all of the games played him.

This is what our amateur game once upon a time has evolved into, what a sad joke!!