Denzel Aberdeen Sues NCAA for Injunction to Play Fifth Season

Florida guard Denzel Aberdeen has sued the NCAA and sought a temporary injunction to play a fifth college basketball season for the Gators. Aberdeen, a member of the 2022 recruiting class, argues that the NCAA’s new five-year eligibility policy should apply to him because he competed against athletes who received additional COVID-era seasons. The NCAA has said the policy will not apply retroactively to players in his class, while a Colorado court ruling that temporarily granted such athletes an extra season was later stayed by the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Aberdeen transferred to Kentucky after three seasons at Florida, then returned to Gainesville to complete his degree and has practiced with the team. Florida coach Todd Golden has publicly supported Aberdeen’s legal challenge, which is part of a broader wave of litigation over the NCAA’s eligibility rules.