An Indiana circuit court on Friday granted a temporary restraining order that restores eligibility for two veteran Indiana University defensive linemen, allowing Stephen Daley and Kellan Wyatt to suit up for the Hoosiers’ season-opening game this weekend.
Immediate effect ahead of Week 1
The ruling bars the NCAA from enforcing bylaws that would have made both fifth‑year seniors ineligible because they had exhausted their collegiate playing time after the 2025 season. The order came after the pair filed suit in Monroe Circuit Court following the pause of an earlier Colorado injunction that briefly preserved eligibility for members of the high school class of 2022.
Judge Kara E. Krothe issued the temporary restraining order the same day the case was filed, concluding the plaintiffs demonstrated that "immediate and irreparable injury will occur before notice can be served and a hearing held." The decision means the two linemen may participate while the legal process continues toward a preliminary injunction hearing set for 9 a.m. on Sept. 11 at the Charlotte Zietlow Justice Center.
"As long as they would have been eligible, academically and otherwise, to continue playing college sports in the following semester if they had a fifth year of eligibility, they are eligible today," Judge Krothe wrote in the TRO.
Injuries, timing and the Big Ten rule
Both players had exhausted the NCAA’s standard eligibility clock after the 2025 season. Their path back to the roster began with an August injunction in Colorado that temporarily extended eligibility for athletes from the high school class of 2022. That injunction was later paused, prompting Daley and Wyatt to seek relief in Indiana.
The Big Ten adopted a rule Aug. 25 intended to prevent professional athletes from returning to NCAA play. The conference notes that the new policy applies to athletes who pursued professional opportunities. School and court records indicate Daley and Wyatt are argued to fall outside that provision because of the nature of their injuries and the decisions that followed.
Neither player participated in the NFL Draft process nor attended an NFL training camp after sustaining season-ending injuries. The court determined that, because neither signed an NFL contract and both were sidelined by injury rather than pursuing professional play, they would have remained eligible under the NCAA’s then-applicable rules.
Injury details and timing
Court filings specify the circumstances of each player’s injury and why those circumstances factor into the eligibility dispute:
- Kellan Wyatt suffered a knee injury Oct. 18 against Michigan State and missed the remainder of the 2025 season.
- Stephen Daley was injured following Indiana’s Dec. 6 victory in the Big Ten Championship game against Ohio State.
| Player | Injury Date | Status per TRO |
|---|---|---|
| Stephen Daley | Dec. 6, 2025 | Temporarily eligible |
| Kellan Wyatt | Oct. 18, 2025 | Temporarily eligible |
What’s next
The TRO is an interim measure. A hearing on a potential preliminary injunction is scheduled for Sept. 11 before Judge Krothe at the Charlotte Zietlow Justice Center. If the court issues a preliminary injunction, the players’ eligibility could be preserved for a longer period while the underlying legal dispute proceeds. If the court declines, the NCAA and Big Ten could move to enforce their eligibility rules, potentially sidelining the pair.
The development comes as the Hoosiers prepare to open the season, and the presence of two experienced defensive linemen could be material to Indiana’s depth and rotations early in the year. The university’s athletic department and the NCAA did not provide additional comment in court records included with the filing.
For fans and roster-watchers, the TRO underscores how rapidly eligibility questions can reshape a college team’s makeup in the modern era of shifting rules, legal challenges and transfer activity. The case will be watched closely not only for its impact on Indiana’s fielding this weekend but for the legal and administrative precedents it may establish regarding injuries, professional pursuits and the application of conference policies.
Attorneys for the players and the NCAA will present arguments at the Sept. 11 hearing. Until then, Daley and Wyatt are legally placed in the position the court described: eligible now if, at the end of their last college season, they would have been eligible to continue playing into the following semester.
