Appeals court halts ruling allowing thousands of college players extra year of eligibility

DENVER — A three‑judge panel of the U.S. 10th Circuit Court of Appeals issued a 2‑1 decision on Friday that temporarily blocks a lower‑court ruling which would have granted thousands of college athletes an additional year of eligibility. The stay comes after a district court judgment last month favored players who finished high school in 2022, whose eligibility had expired after the previous season and who were not covered by the NCAA’s recent rule that allows most competitors five years of play, set to begin next season. Those athletes had been seeking to return to their former schools for another campaign, with football practice scheduled to start within the next two weeks. The appellate panel’s ruling holds the district court decision in abeyance pending a full appeal, aiming to quell the turbulence created by a series of similar