The NCAA has denied Ole Miss’ appeal for Trinidad Chambliss’ sixth-year eligibility waiver, the school confirmed on Wednesday, which will direct his fight to play college football in 2026 to state court in Mississippi.
The waiver, which was denied by the NCAA athletics eligibility subcommittee, was for a medical redshirt stemming from his second year at Ferris State in 2022. The NCAA denied Chambliss’ initial request for a waiver back on Jan. 9.
This NCAA decision to deny the appeal, which was generally expected, does not mean Chambliss’ eligibility fight is over. Chambliss’ attorneys have filed for an injunction in state court in Mississippi.
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The decision in state court will loom large over the 2026 college football season, as Chambliss will be one of the faces of the sport if eligible. There’s also millions of dollars at stake, as he signed a lucrative deal that’s pending his eligibility.
Ole Miss confirmed the news in a statement on Wednesday night, calling the decision “indefensible.” The NCAA referred back to its initial statement on Jan. 9 that indicated a lack of proper medical documentation.
Ole Miss said in the statement on Wednesday that Chambliss “did not dress for a single game while suffering from severe, incapacitating medical conditions.”
Chambliss’ injunction hearing is expected to be heard on Feb. 12 in Chancery Court of Lafayette County in Mississippi.
Ole Miss said on Wednesday that Chambliss’ representatives “will continue to pursue all available legal remedies, and we will publicly stand behind Trinidad while holding the NCAA accountable for a decision that fails to align with its own rules, precedent and the documented medical record.”
In a filing this week in state court, the NCAA detailed why the injunction should not be granted. That includes claims by the NCAA that the medical documentation that Chambliss provided showed that he chose to forgo surgery in 2022 so “he could participate in the football season” and opted instead for medication management.
Chambliss’ filing for an injunction is one of three high-profile court cases expected to unfold in court in the upcoming weeks. Tennessee quarterback Joey Aguilar is attempting to secure an additional season and has an injunction hearing on Feb. 13. Alabama basketball center Charles Bediako is awaiting a hearing after receiving a temporary restraining order to become eligible. (His attorneys are attempting to get the hearing, scheduled for Friday, to be delayed.)
In the filing in state court this week, the NCAA argued in Chambliss’ case: “Collegiate sports will become ungovernable if eligibility determinations are instead the result of individual court decisions.”
