09/02/2026
https://youtu.be/FoKSOZ3Mhng
In this episode of Legally Speaking on WFMJ Today, BK Shareholder Frank Cassese wades into the controversy switling about the decision of two NFL players to leave their teams and return to the collegiate ranks to play for LSU.
There’s just one problem: LSU's league, the SEC, issued a statement that said the coach of any school that adds former NFL players to its roster would be suspended for half the season and hit with a steep fine.
Subsequently the NFL stated that players who return to college will not be allowed to go back to the NFL during the season they left.
would have its coach suspended for half a season and get a huge fine. Now the NFL says if you leave
What does that mean for these athletes?
Frank Cassese explains:
“ his is a fascinating case. Daquan Wright is one of the players invovled. He spent the whole summer at the Browns’ training camp as a tight end and now he’s trying to go to LSU. “HJw crazy is that that the NFL is a feeder league for college?, “ Frank asked. “It is really crazy. It's going to be really wild to see what happens with this case and other like it.”
“This situation was spawned by the five-for-five rule that was recently implemented by the NCAA,” Frank commented. “Athletesget five years of eligibility now instead of just four.
They are not required to redshirt or take any other steps to play the fifth year. So, this would have been the fifth year of eligibility for the players in question if the ruled had been implemented during their college careers. Now they're saying what about us? We want to play another season of college ball.”
According to Frank, that legal question, which only matters to the Class of 2022, is now the subject of litigation across the nation. The first case was filed in Hamilton County in Cincinnati on behalf of a number of basketball players. They sought and secured an injunction against the NCAA’s rule prohibiting players from returning to college from the pros. Similar cases were filed all over the country, including a class action that was brought in the federal district court in Colorado.
The Colorado court ruled the NCAA could not enforce its rule and held that all class of 2022 athletes were eligible to play in college.
Frank also discussed a YSU student athlete who is represented by BetrasKopp. “The athlete filed a preliminary injunction in the Mahoning County Common Pleas Court and asked for and received a temporary restraining order that blocked enforcement of the NCAA’s rule. The date for a hearing on our request for a preliminary injunction hearing was set and we were prepared to fight this out with the
NCAA,” Frank commented.
“Meanwhile, the federal court ruled that all Class of 2022 athletes are eligible which meant our client could play. That made our case moot, but we may need to go back to court and fight over the preliminary injunction.”
“The fact is, there's never been a situation like this,” Frank continued. “ Does it muddy the water more that after these athletes signed pro contracts they wanted to go back to the NCAA?”
“Good question, “Frank said. And let’s remember, it wasn’t the NCAA that barred athletes from playing, it was the SEC. And that adds another layer to this onion that's going to be litigated because even if the NCAA
says, okay, you're eligible, or the courts say you're eligible the league can technically say no.”
“This is crazy. I feel like we need a podcast about this. We could go on and on. And it's going to continue. It's just going to invite more litigation.”
Thanks for watching this fascinating episode of Legally Speaking on WFMJ Today. If you enjoy this and the variety of content we post on YouTube, please do us a solid and mash the “Like,” “Subscribe,” and “Share” buttons, it’s a great way to expand the BetrasKopp team.
