NCAA sues Ohio governor over his executive order allowing schools to ignore new eligibility rule

The NCAA filed a federal lawsuit against Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine on Friday, three days after he signed an executive order giving the state’s colleges and universities the option of allowing athletes who graduated from high school in 2022 to play a fifth year in defiance of the NCAA’s new eligibility rule .

NCAA President Charlie Baker said the lawsuit, filed in federal court in Ohio on Friday, was an “extraordinary step” designed to prevent DeWine from taking a step that would make it “impossible for all schools to compete on a level playing field.”

Under the order, public and private universities in Ohio can allow athletes to play, even though the NCAA’s new guidance excludes those who have already played four seasons. The rule, passed in June, is the subject of multiple court fights.