Judge denies NC State cornerback Corey Coley Jr.’s request for fifth year of eligibility

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A federal judge has ruled against cornerback Corey Coley Jr.’s request that he be granted a fifth year of eligibility to play at N.C. State and earn name, image and likeness money.

Coley is one of several players suing the NCAA over its rule that college athletes may play only four seasons within a five-year period.

He sought an injunction that would allow him to play this fall, but U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III denied the request on Friday, writing that “the balance of hardships does not favor Coley.”

Coley played three seasons at Maryland before transferring to N.C. State, where he played six games in 2024 before suffering a season-ending injury. He filed a hardship waiver with the NCAA, seeking another season of eligibility, and when that was denied, he filed the antitrust lawsuit, arguing he could “earn substantial sums” of NIL money if he played this year.

However, Dever wrote that even if the player got an injunction, “nothing guarantees that Coley will get the additional playing time and NIL money he seeks.”

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