The NCAA has responded to Thursday’s court ruling that granted Wisconsin cornerback Nyzier Fourqurean a preliminary injunction against the organization, allowing him to return to school for a fifth and final season.
We’ve detailed the context behind the ruling, one that may continue to erode the traditional structure of collegiate athletics. Fourqurean successfully argued that his years at the D-II level shouldn’t count against the classic four-year eligibility structure and that the NCAA was keeping him from making “hundreds of thousands of dollars” in name, image and likeness money. His winning decision continued what has already been a precedent-setting offseason of court rulings against the NCAA.
Related: Wisconsin 2025 defense depth chart with cornerback Nyzier Fourqurean’s potential return
The NCAA responded decisively to Fourqurean’s injunction, asking for Congressional support and arguing that the elimination of the four-year eligibility structure will lead to high school athletes losing opportunities to play at the college level.
“The NCAA supports all student-athletes maximizing their name, image and likeness potential, but today’s ruling creates even more uncertainty and may lead to countless high school students losing opportunities to compete in college athletics,” the statement reads, as shared by Yahoo’s Ross Dellenger. “Altering the enforcement of foundational eligibility rules — approved and supported by membership leaders — that are designed to help ensure competition is safe and fair for current and future student-athletes makes a shifting environment even more unsettled. The NCAA and its member schools are making changes to deliver more benefits to student-athletes, but the recent patchwork of state laws and court opinions continues to make it clear that partnering with Congress is essential to provide stability for the future of all college athletes.”
The NCAA can still appeal the decision. If it doesn’t, Fourqurean will be back with the Badgers for the 2025 season.
This ongoing situation follows Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia gaining an extra year after he successfully argued that junior college seasons shouldn’t count against NCAA eligibility. That case led to numerous former JUCO players returning for final seasons, a pattern that may soon follow with former D-II transfers.
Overall, these recent court decisions represent a move further away from the NCAA’s traditional governance over college athletics. Wisconsin has been at the center of those moves, primarily when freshman cornerback Xavier Lucas left for Miami without officially entering the transfer portal.
A reported new organization, led by Power Four athletic directors, is set to only continue these seismic changes. The organization will reportedly give the four major conferences power over everything from revenue-sharing to NIL to the enforcement of tampering rules. Court decisions like Fourqurean’s are all small steps toward the future of college athletics. Whatever that future looks like, the movement toward that conclusion feels faster than ever.
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This article originally appeared on Badgers Wire: NCAA statement Wisconsin football cornerback Nyzier Fourqurean lawsuit
