NCAA Court Ruling Shuts Down Lincoln Riley’s Unusual USC Opportunity

The world of college football is changing… again. It's no secret that the current state of college sports is filled with uncertainty and instability. however, few recent developments have taken the sport on a stranger ride than the NCAA's ongoing battle over eligibility.

One of the most controversial developments essentially would allow members of the 2022 high school class to return for another season of college football, even after they had exhausted the eligibility they originally received under the NCAA's old rules.

Lincoln Riley USC Trojans NCAA eligibility College football Transfer portal Class of 2022 Fifth year eligibility NFL players — Oct 11, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley (wearing white visor) celebrates along with defensive end coach Shaun Nua after kicker Ryon Sayeri (48) hit a 54-yard field goal in the second half against the Michigan Wolverines at United Airlines Field at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

That possibility created an unprecedented situation in which former college players who had already moved on and, in some cases, even signed with NFL teams could potentially find their way back to the college game.

This development took the football world by storm due to discussions over whether it was right, whether it was fair for players who may be upwards of 23 or 24 years old, and some of whom have signed with NFL teams and played in preseason games, to come back and compete with teenagers for playing time on college rosters.

However, since this development, that door has been pushed back toward closed. On Friday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit paused the nationwide ruling that had temporarily allowed Class of 2022 athletes to receive a fifth season. In simple terms, players who were relying only on that ruling are no longer eligible to play this fall.

Though it is important to note that some players who received separate rulings from state courts are still eligible.

Although the possibility of former NFL signees putting back on a college uniform is slim with the new ruling, it opened up an interesting conversation in the college football world on where the line is drawn, essentially, over morals and competitive edge.

Just one day before the latest ruling, Trojans coach Lincoln Riley was asked whether USC would consider bringing back a former player who had already moved on to the NFL if the rules created an opportunity to do so. Riley's answer made it clear that USC would at least consider it.

“There’s things within the rules of the game that if there’s a place to have an advantage for USC, we would always look at it whether we agree with it or not,” Riley said Thursday.

One potential Trojan that could have joined the roster was former USC receiver Jay Fair.

Lincoln Riley Leaves the Door Open for Former Trojans

Riley's view on the possibility of bringing back an NFL player to his team is bigger than simply finding another way to improve USC's roster.

Coaching college football is a cutthroat profession where the margin for error is small. Last season was a prime example of just how small that margin of error is. A W or an L on a schedule essentially defines the livelihood of the head coach, their staff and their families. The 2025 season saw more than ten mid-season head coaching dismissals before the end of the regular season.

That reality can force coaches to make uncomfortable decisions.

Riley may not love everything about the direction college football is heading. He may not believe bringing a former player back from the NFL is necessarily good for the sport. But if the NCAA allows it, and if that player can make USC better, it would be difficult for any coach competing at this level to simply ignore the opportunity.

“That is definitely something that I wish wasn't happening right now in college football, and not for any individual's sake, just for the overall good of the game,” said Riley.

“For us, it's something we're looking at, it's something we have looked at as some of these different judges' decisions have transpired across the country. There's never going to be a stone that's not going to be uncovered, that's not going to be looked at, discussed.”

USC’s Culture Still Comes First

However, that does not mean USC would bring back a former Trojan simply because it could. Riley made clear that the player would have to fit what the Trojans are building and provide more than just talent.

“Ultimately, at the end of the day, you've got to feel like bringing in somebody is in the best interest of the team, right?” Riley said

“Addition doesn't always mean necessarily making you better, right? And we feel very strongly about the group that we've put together, we feel very strongly about the kind of culture and attitude and vibe of this team right now, and so first and foremost, we're going to protect that, and if at some point someone comes up that we feel like can add to the roster and add to the intangible part of this, then we would certainly look at it.”

Protecting USC's culture matters, and so does protecting the roster he has spent months building. But winning matters too, and every legitimate competitive advantage is worth examining when the stakes extend beyond one Saturday.

If the rules create an opportunity that can make USC better, Riley and his staff, as well as coaching staffs around the nation, have a responsibility to at least consider it.

That does not necessarily mean taking advantage of every loophole or chasing every available veteran. It just means understanding that in a profession where wins can determine whether a coach and his staff are employed the following season, taking a moral high ground and refusing to explore an advantage could be just as consequential as using one.

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