Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss has filed a petition in a Mississippi state court seeking an injunction to allow him to play in the 2026 college football season. Chambliss argues that his request for a sixth year of eligibility was wrongly denied by the NCAA on January 9, after he redshirted at Ferris State in 2021 and spent the following seasons with the Michigan school and Ole Miss. He has since secured the services of two attorneys to handle his case, emphasizing the contractual aspects of NCAA eligibility rules rather than federal antitrust issues, which have historically favored the NCAA.
The petition, filed in Lafayette County Chancery Court, claims that the NCAA applied its rules inconsistently, breaching its contract with student-athletes like Chambliss. His legal team is asking for a preliminary injunction to prevent the enforcement of the NCAA’s decision, which they believe would allow him to participate in the 2026 season. Without this, Chambliss might have to move on to the NFL.
Chambliss’s case includes his struggle with a medical condition affecting his ability to play in 2022, which he argues justifies the need for an eligibility waiver that he did not initially seek. Previous statements from NCAA and Ferris State have claimed a lack of documentation for his medical issues, which Chambliss’s attorneys contest, citing evidence that a redshirt was justified due to both his condition and the team’s competitive situation.
The NCAA is expected to challenge the petition’s jurisdiction, advocating for federal court proceedings. Chambliss’s lawyers, leveraging local sentiment toward Ole Miss, aim for a favorable outcome in state court as they confront the governance of collegiate athletics.
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