Patrick K.A. Afriyie

Archer & Greiner, P.C. announced today that New York Supreme Court Justice Daniel J. Doyle granted a preliminary injunction against the NCAA and its President on behalf of client Melvin Council Jr., restoring his eligibility to compete in NCAA basketball during the 2026-27 season. Judge Doyle's ruling also prevents the NCAA from retroactively penalizing Council or any institution that chooses to add him to its roster....

In rulings in two cases addressing high school and college athletics, the Supreme Court held that states can ban transgender athletes from girls’ and women’s sports teams without violating Title IX or the Fourteenth Amendment....

On Friday, April 3, 2026, the President signed an executive order on collegiate athletics in an effort to restore a regulatory posture that resembles, in essence, a pre–name, image, and likeness (NIL) power structure. Despite the clear enforceability and legal questions presented by this order, the NCAA has already indicated its intention to implement rules aligned with the order’s demands. The framework sets forth guidelines that favor institutional stability over athlete freedom. In reality, however, these guidelines reflect substantial deference to the NCAA and its historical compliance architecture, signaling a policy preference for centralized governance over athlete-driven market dynamics. In practical terms, the order narrows the scope of student-athlete discretion by circumscribing pathways that have recently expanded under NIL and a more open market, prioritizing uniformity and institutional control. It is too early to determine the exact ramifications of this executive order; however, its existence further emphasizes that change in the collegiate sports industry is coming....