Attorney 'cautiously optimistic' Oklahoma State football's Iman Oates will get extra year
Oklahoma State defensive tackle Iman Oates is part of a multi-plaintiff lawsuit against the NCAA seeking additional eligibility for players who came from junior colleges.
STILLWATER — The attorney representing Oklahoma State football player Iman Oates says he is “cautiously optimistic” about Oates and several other college football players across the country being granted an additional year of eligibility. “We’re expecting a ruling any day, and we’re cautiously optimistic about the result,” Oates’ attorney, Ryan Downton, told The Oklahoman . Oates is among 28 players in the lawsuit against the NCAA seeking additional eligibility as a result of prior years played at junior college programs.
Oates played two seasons at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M before transferring to OSU in 2023. Downton is seeking an injunction on the basis that the current NCAA rule violates antitrust law and restricts name, image and likeness earning potential of athletes who played at a non-NCAA institution. The case was heard more than two months ago in U.
S. District Court of Middle Tennessee, leaving the athletes to only wait for a ruling. More: Oklahoma State football's Julian Wilson had smooth transition to other side of Bedlam Downton also represented Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia in his pursuit for additional eligibility because of prior seasons spent in junior college.
Pavia was granted an injunction in December 2024 that allowed him to play last season, and he remains part of the current lawsuit, despite having announced intentions to enter the NFL Draft. Now, Downton is representing a group of 28 players across the country who are in the same situation as Pavia. Other factors could complicate the situation, like the recent executive order signed by President Donald Trump, which primarily addresses transfer rules but includes a recommendation to the NCAA to allow athletes five years of eligibility with no redshirt restrictions .