On June 3, 2025, Philip Sheng and Rachel Kipp published "Ziegler v. NCAA: Four Seasons Rule Again Under Antitrust Scrutiny in the Daily Journal. The following is an excerpt:
Former University of Tennessee point guard Zakai Zeigler is taking the NCAA to court over its “Four-Seasons Rule,” which restricts college student-athletes to four seasons of competition within a five-year period of time. This case has the potential to blow up the NCAA’s eligibility rules and may be the first to apply a Tennessee state law aimed at banning the NCAA from restricting name, image, and likeness (NIL) compensation to student-athletes.
While recently there has been a flurry of challenges to the Four-Seasons Rule, this case is unique. Zeigler did not spend time at a junior college (like Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia), nor did he spend time playing in another NCAA division (like University of Wisconsin cornerback Nyzier Fourqurean). Zeigler played four consecutive seasons of Division 1 basketball at Tennessee, while completing his undergraduate degree during that time. Zeigler has said he plans to attend graduate school and is seeking a fifth year of eligibility.
Zeigler filed his lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee. He argues that the Four-Seasons Rule unjustly limits his athletic development, harms his professional prospects, and, most importantly, will prevent him from earning between $2 million and $4 million in NIL compensation if he is denied the opportunity to play in the upcoming 2025-2026 season.
You can rad the article here.