Alex Steen, a former Florida State University basketball standout, has filed a lawsuit against the NCAA demanding a fifth year of athletic eligibility, arguing that he should receive the same extension recently granted to athletes from the Class of 2022.
The NCAA’s eligibility framework, reshaped in mid‑2023, permits players who began their collegiate careers in the 2023‑24 academic year to potentially compete for five seasons, yet Steen contends that the policy should be applied retroactively to his own situation.
Steen’s college journey began at Florida Southern College, where he honed his game before transferring to Tallahassee to complete his senior season with the Seminoles, during which he posted averages of 6.8 points and 5.8 rebounds while shooting 63.2 % from the field.
Having once planned to launch a professional career in Serbia, Steen now faces a crossroads as the prospect of a fifth season hinges on the outcome of his legal challenge, which could open doors for other athletes navigating similar eligibility disputes.
Legal Precedent and Broader Impact
The lawsuit builds on a Colorado court’s preliminary injunction that temporarily restored eligibility for the Class of 2022, a decision that has sparked a wave of litigation across the collegiate landscape, including a separate case involving former FSU quarterback Tommy Castellanos.
If successful, Steen’s action could cement a new standard for fifth‑year eligibility, reshaping scholarship calculations, roster planning, and the financial calculus for programs ranging from Florida State to other power‑conference schools.