Iowa State guard and Ames native Tamin Lipsey is cleared to return for a fifth college basketball season after an Indiana circuit court struck down NCAA eligibility restrictions targeting senior student-athletes.
On Wednesday, Monroe Circuit Court Judge Kara E. Krothe granted a preliminary injunction in Stephen Daley et al. v. NCAA, barring the governing body from enforcing rules that exclude non-redshirting members of the high school Class of 2022 from competing in the 2026–27 academic year.
Lipsey,
named as Plaintiff No. 56 in the multi-sport litigation, played four consecutive seasons for the Cyclones from 2022 through 2026 without ever taking a redshirt year. Throughout his collegiate tenure, Lipsey routinely competed for court time and conference honors against a dense pool of fifth-year players—including Iowa State teammates Tre King, Aljaz Kunc, Robert Jones, Jaren Holmes, Osun Osunniyi, Gabe Kalscheur, Hason Ward, Nate Heise, Brandton Chatfield and Curtis Jones.
The legal action centers on the NCAA’s transition to a permanent “Five-for-Five” age-based eligibility framework under Bylaw 12.6, which permits student-athletes five seasons of competition within a continuous five-year window starting from initial enrollment or age 19. Plaintiffs successfully argued that while the NCAA granted extended eligibility to COVID-impacted cohorts, former junior college transfers under the Pavia waiver, and former professional players returning to college, it arbitrarily carved out 2022 high school graduates who played immediately as college freshmen.
The ruling carries significant financial implications under the House v. NCAA class-action settlement and NCAA Bylaw 16.13.1.1, which tie direct institutional revenue-sharing payments and third-party Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) compensation directly to an athlete’s active eligibility status. Official evidentiary tracking ledgers submitted to the court confirm that Lipsey has not signed a professional contract and intends to remain at Iowa State University for the 2026–27 campaign.
Beyond granting immediate eligibility, Judge Krothe’s order restrains the NCAA from enforcing Bylaw 12.9.4.2—the “Rule of Restitution”—which prohibits the NCAA from punishing Iowa State University, its coaching staff, or opposing institutions with vacated wins or financial forfeitures for placing Lipsey on the court.
ESPN’s Pete Thamel expects the NCAA to appeal the decision.
