Ole Miss' Trinidad Chambliss gets 6th year of eligibility by state judge

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

Ole Miss will run it back with the man who carried the team to its most successful season in program history.

After suing the NCAA over a sixth season of eligibility, Trinidad Chambliss was granted the opportunity to play the 2026 season by a state judge on Thursday.

The NCAA formally rejected his request for a sixth year of eligibility on Jan. 9 because he and his team could not provide evidence that he was suffering from an “incapacitating injury or illness” when he did not play for Division II Ferris State in 2022 because of apparent respiratory issues.

Chambliss’ appeal to the NCAA was denied last week, but the legal battle continued.

The judge ruled that the NCAA “operated in bad faith” in trying to keep Chambliss ineligible for next season, according to Yahoo Sports.

Ole Miss came within a quarter of advancing to the College Football Playoff championship game, losing a 31-27 thriller to Miami in the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 8.

BYU WIDE RECEIVER, WHO RECENTLY ANNOUNCED ENGAGEMENT, CHARGED WITH FELONY RAPE

The Rebels’ postseason was mired in controversy when Lane Kiffin opted to take the LSU head coaching job. Athletic Director Keith Carter said Kiffin would not be able to coach the team in the playoff if he left, resulting in a he-said, he-said between Kiffin and players on how the break up went down in the locker room.

However, several coaches, including offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr., went back and forth between LSU and Ole Miss for the playoff games.