Former IU football safety Louis Moore\u2019s college career is over.\u00a0 He will be at the NFL Draft Combine next week. But somehow, his eligibility case involving the NCAA is ongoing.<\/p>\n
Last summer Moore filed suit against the NCAA after the organization deemed he had exhausted his college eligibility.\u00a0 He got a temporary injunction in the courtroom, which allowed him to play the entire 2025 national championship season for Indiana.<\/p>\n
Since he no longer required court protection to play college football, last month Moore dismissed his own lawsuit against the NCAA.<\/p>\n
The NCAA filed an appeal related to the temporary injunction, something Moore also filed a motion to have dismissed.<\/p>\n
The NCAA is pushing back on that.<\/p>\n
Ostensibly now concerned primarily precedence, the NCAA still wants the court of appeals to rule on the validity of the temporary injunction that allowed Moore to play in 2025.<\/p>\n
But in its arguments to continue with the appeals process, the NCAA is suggesting it now has the power to punish IU for allowing Moore to play in 2025.<\/p>\n
\u201cNow that Appellee (Moore) has voluntarily dismissed the trial court action, the Temporary Injunction is no longer in effect. The dissolution of the Temporary Injunction means that the NCAA Division I membership, through the member representatives on the NCAA Committee on Infractions, is now free to enforce, if they so choose, the \u201cRule of Restitution\u201d against Indiana University for rostering an ineligible participant.\u201d<\/p>\n
The context is important.<\/p>\n
The NCAA is not threatening enforcement actions against IU, at least not publicly.\u00a0 Instead, they are suggesting the appeal should proceed because the very same arguments in favor of Moore\u2019s eligibility would be made by Indiana in the event the NCAA does pursue enforcement actions.<\/p>\n
Perhaps the Rule of Restitution is simply the best example the NCAA could come up with as to why the appeal should proceed.\u00a0 Or perhaps they are making a threat?<\/p>\n
Curiously, in its court arguments the NCAA also describes the potential enforcement actions it believes are now available to it against Indiana, including \u201cindividual records and performances achieved by Appellant during the recent season be vacated or stricken; that team victories achieved during Appellant\u2019s participation last season be abrogated, including the national championship; that any of Appellee\u2019s awards earned during last season be returned; or that the institution is assessed a financial penalty.\u201d<\/p>\n
None of this seems to present any real cause for concern for Indiana at this point.<\/p>\n
Moore received the temporary injunction because the court believed he would win his case during a full trial.\u00a0 So the facts are on his side if the appeal proceeds.<\/p>\n
Moreover, the NCAA does not operate the College Football Playoff, so it has no real ability to threaten Indiana\u2019s claim to a national championship.<\/p>\n
So what is all of this in reality?<\/p>\n
Mostly just a dying, largely irrelevant organization drowning in its own sea of incompetence.\u00a0 And its feckless leaders are fiddling in the courts while the integrity of the college sports they claim to represent burns.<\/p>\n