The NCAA's Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals has granted a stay on a July 31 federal judge’s blanket injunction that had opened the door for college athletes who began their studies in 2022‑23 and completed four seasons to claim a fifth year of eligibility.
That stay, issued on August 2, leaves the eligibility of three Southern Miss football veterans—Aloali'i Maui, Greg Nunnery Jr. and Jameer Lewis—in limbo as the Golden Eagles prepare for their season opener against Alcorn State.
Eligibility Battle Continues
Head coach Blake Anderson and his staff have already woven the three veterans into the roster, hoping their experience will shore up an offensive line that has been unsettled since fall camp and add depth to a defensive front that relies on Lewis’s explosiveness.
The trio had been counting on the Wisne v. NCAA injunction to secure their return, but the appellate stay means they must now navigate individual legal pathways while the university monitors any further developments before Saturday’s Fan Fest scrimmage.
Southern Miss Athletics, which oversees the football program, says the team remains focused on the upcoming matchup, but the lingering uncertainty underscores how the NCAA’s evolving eligibility rules continue to reshape college sports.
The legal maneuvering also leaves open the possibility that athletes who pursued separate lawsuits or obtained state‑court restraining orders could still retain their fifth‑year privileges, a nuance that may affect future roster planning across the collegiate landscape.