Court ruling allows Sun Belt players to return to college football

On July 31, U.S. District Court Judge Charlotte Sweeney issued a ruling that grants an additional year of eligibility to all athletes who graduated high school in 2022 and exhausted their eligibility during the 2025-26 academic year. This affects several Sun Belt players, including Trent Hendrick and Kevontay Wells, who expressed interest in returning to college football. The NCAA is expected to appeal the ruling, which aligns with the proposed Protect College Sports Act that would extend eligibility for student-athletes. Players can choose to return to their original teams or enter the transfer portal as the ruling prevents the NCAA from barring their access to it.

• 2:19 AMYahoo Sports — Which All-Sun Belt players can return to college after court ruling?