The NCAA’s fight to keep Kentucky linebacker Alex Afari Jr. and other athletes off the field took a hit Friday when Kentucky Court of Appeals Judge Sara Walter Combs denied the organization’s request for emergency relief.
More than 30 athletes from the class of 2022 are named in the ongoing lawsuit, and they will continue to exhaust every option in pursuit of an additional year of eligibility in their respective sports.
As things stand Friday afternoon, the athletes in the lawsuit, including Afari,
are eligible to play.
Does this mean it’s over and the litigation is finished? Not quite, but we may be nearing a final resolution.
Eligibility could change again, because the next step is for a three-judge panel of the Kentucky Court of Appeals to consider the NCAA’s request for interlocutory relief. The athletes’ attorneys have until Nov. 6 to respond to that motion.
The situation is one thing for basketball players still navigating the eligibility waters. For players like Afari, though, the college football season is winding down and time is running out.
Thankfully, the Cincinnati native has seen the field in spurts this season despite the back-and-forth court rulings. Afari has played in six of UK’s eight games and recorded 11 total tackles, but he hasn’t had the chance to shine the way we’ve seen in previous seasons.
For the Kentucky Football program, this has been no normal season by any stretch of the imagination. With all sights set on making and advancing in the College Football Playoff, having depth pieces like Alex Afari Jr. at your disposal will be huge for Will Stein and his staff.
You also have to feel for him and the other athletes named in the lawsuit, as they want some finality in this situation as much as any of us do. It seems like that final decision may be coming sooner rather than later.
