3 Badgers football players seeking 5th year of eligibility could get a ruling soon

The future of three Wisconsin Badgers football players is in the hands of a federal judge in a lawsuit against the NCAA.

Sep 6, 2025; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Wisconsin Badgers tight end Lance Mason (86) runs the ball against the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders during the second half at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kayla Wolf-Imagn Images | Kayla Wolf-Imagn Images

Three Wisconsin Badgers Football players' ongoing legal dispute with the NCAA for a fifth year of eligibility took a significant step forward Wednesday afternoon.

Tight end Lance Mason, kicker Nathanial Vakos and long snapper Nick Levy are part of a 10-player class-action lawsuit that is challenging the NCAA's redshirt rule, which allows players to play in four seasons across a maximum of five seasons. The players argue the rule violates federal antitrust law.

In Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. District Judge William Campbell held a hearing Wednesday to address the five football players asking for a preliminary injunction for an additional season of eligibility.

3 Badgers' 2025 eligibility could be decided sooner rather than later

The five football players are pushing to speed up the legal process due to the transfer portal opening Jan. 2. Starting this offseason, the transfer portal is open for just one two-week stint.

The initial lawsuit was filed in September.

Related: 3 Wisconsin Badgers seniors suing NCAA to pursue fifth year of football eligibility

According to the Associated Press, both Levy and Vanderbilt linebacker Langston Patterson testified during the hearing that their respective teams would search for replacements in the portal if a decision isn't made before the portal opens.

In the initial lawsuit, Mason was the only Badgers player to explicitly say he'd play at Wisconsin in his fifth year. Vakos claimed he'd continue at a "major Big Ten program" and Levy didn't provide any specifics.

Judge Campbell, who granted the injunction that allowed Heisman Trophy finalist Diego Pavia to play for Vanderbilt in 2025, didn't offer a ruling Wednesday, and he reportedly didn't provide much insight into which way he was leaning.

The Pavia ruling resulted in several other athletes filing lawsuits against the NCAA. The possible ramifications of granting these five athletes an injunction could be similar, and as a result, Campbell is being cautious.

“I pulled a lever last year, and we saw what happened there,” Campbell said, according to USA Today. “There’s a lot of moving parts here, and one injunction can have a lot of ripple effects.”

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The NCAA argues that college players playing five seasons limits opportunities for high school athletes to earn scholarships or receive an education.

Leading up to Wednesday's hearing, the commissioners of the ACC, Big 12, Big Ten, SEC and Pac-12 filed an affidavit in support of the NCAA's eligibility rules.

Commissioners of the Big 12, SEC, ACC, Big Ten & Pac-12 - those named in the House settlement - filed an affidavit in support of NCAA eligibility rules ahead of a hearing today in the Patterson case, which seeks to overturn the NCAA redshirt rule and grant players 5 full seasons. pic.twitter.com/8tNdDKCylD

— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) December 15, 2025

"These longstanding rules are grounded in the principle that athletics are an integral part of the academic experience," the affidavit reads. "They align the time permitted for intercollegiate athletics with the pursuit of an undergraduate education and preserve opportunities for future student-athletes to participate in college sports."

The NCAA also sent out a memo Wednesday morning noting that even if the five players in this lawsuit are granted a preliminary injunction, it wouldn't impact any other athletes' eligibility.

The NCAA is saying even if the plaintiffs in the Patterson case are successful in obtaining a 5th season of competition, it only applies to the five named plaintiffs and the NCAA won’t be issuing a blanket waiver.

If plaintiffs win today, expect a flood of new copycat lawsuits. https://t.co/IiTMB19btG

— Mit Winter (@WinterSportsLaw) December 15, 2025

It's unclear when the ruling will be made, but with what's essentially a Jan. 2 deadline, Campbell's decision should come soon.

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