A Fresh Take on College Sports Justice: Blake Bustard's Legal Victory
Athletic institution, NCAA, faced resistance as Shumaker succeeded in securing a momentary blockade, preventing the removal of an Eastern Michigan football player from the team roster.
Hail from Ann Arbor, MI - the national law firm Shumaker has scored a significant victory, winning a court order to keep Eastern Michigan University football player Blake Bustard on the field. The NCAA attempted to bench him due to a contentious rule, but Judge Julia B. Owdziej's Temporary Restraining Order stands firm, blocking the NCAA's eligibility bylaws that could have denied Bustard a chance this season.
Diana Florence, a Shumaker attorney, turned optimistic, stating, "This isn't just a win for Blake, but for fairness in college sports. The NCAA's rigid eligibility rules could have snuffed out a student-athlete's future, and the court saw the potential harm."
Breaking the Traditional Mold: NCAA Eligibility Rules
The NCAA's "Five-Year Rule" allows athletes only four seasons of play within a five-year calendar. While designed to cater for redshirt years, it's also been used to deny deserving players like Bustard their last shot at competition, even under circumstances they couldn't control.
The legal team argued that enforcing the rule would cause lasting harm to Bustard's athletic career, personal growth, and Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) opportunities. The court agreed, acknowledging the damage "is hard, if not impossible, to quantify."
Raising the Stakes
This case comes at a time when the NCAA's long-standing rules are under intense legal and political scrutiny. With proposed athlete revenue-sharing and the landmark antitrust settlement, legal challenges like this one are shedding light on the evolution needed in eligibility policies in an era where college athletes are progressively treated as professionals.
Nicholas Stack, another Shumaker Attorney, notes, "This case could act as a precedent, with courts beginning to understand that student-athletes have rights and that outdated NCAA rules can't restrict them without solid justification."
For now, Bustard can fully participate in Eastern Michigan's football activities, with the NCAA set to argue its case on June 12, 2025, as to why a lasting injunction shouldn't be issued.
*Case number: Blake Bustard v. National Collegiate Athletic Association, No. 25-000779-CP in 22nd Circuit Court, Washtenaw County, Michigan.
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- The ongoing antitrust debate surrounding the NCAA's policies and legislation has gained momentum, with the case of Blake Bustard serving as a significant example that highlights the need for evolution in the eligibility rules.
- As politics continue to scrutinize the NCAA's long-standing rules, general news outlets have been covering the football player's legal victory, which could potentially set a precedent for future cases and the treatment of college athletes as professionals.
- The win for Bustard, represented by the law firm Shumaker, marks a significant shift in college sports justice, potentially catalyzing changes in the NCAA's policies that may impact the sports landscape, including sports like football and American football.
