RALEIGH, N.C. — The court case in the state of North Carolina with more than 50 athletes hoping to gain eligibility was set to be heard on Wednesday. Instead, the case was canceled as the NCAA claimed it dealt with antitrust law and not a breach of contract, attempting to tip the scales in its favor.
As we wrote last week, three former NC State players in Darrion Williams, Ven-Allen Lubin and Tre Holloman are all among the group of more than 50 college basketball players filing lawsuits against the NCAA in the state of North Carolina. The former NCAA student-athletes were all suing the NCAA over the new age-based eligibility rule that was passed, claiming they should still have eligibility.
According to documents released by the Texas Trial Group, which is overseeing the case, the NCAA filed that the case dealt with anti-trust law to avoid the case being heard. The case actually focused on the breach of contract due to the athletes being third-party beneficiaries, but the NCAA was able to get the hearing canceled for Wednesday.
“The NCAA did this to shift the case to a judge it believed would rule in its favor,” attorney Darren Heitner of Heitner Legal wrote on Wednesday afternoon. “Lying to shop judges is unethical at its core. So, there will not be a hearing in North Carolina today and those plaintiffs who originally filed in NC will likely be filing in other jurisdictions in the near future.”
The NCAA has yet to release a statement to this point on the case not being heard on Wednesday.
While a nationwide injunction in Colorado possibly opens the floodgates for players from the 2022 class to return to college sports next season, there’s no guarantee it will hold. Therefore, college athletes like Lubin, Williams, Holloman and so many others are still working to fight the NCAA and not only allow for the option to get an additional year, but be able to enter the transfer portal.
This is just the latest in a long saga that has transpired this summer, and it appears far from over with new ripples being released seemingly every day.
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