Florida guard Denzel Aberdeen sues the NCAA in hopes of gaining a fifth year of eligibility

Gainesville, Fla. (AP) — Basketball guard Denzel Aberdeen from Florida has joined a growing number of players taking legal action against the NCAA to secure an additional year of eligibility. Aberdeen's lawyer, Jesse Panuccio, filed the lawsuit on Friday in Gainesville, arguing that the NCAA's "arbitrary decision" against student-athletes who concluded their college careers after the 2022-23 season and finished four seasons of eligibility is "unlawful."

The NCAA's shift to a five-year, age-based eligibility system, set to take effect next fall, has sparked a series of court battles. Aberdeen played three seasons at Florida before transferring to Kentucky last year, then returned to Florida this year to complete his undergraduate degree. Despite working out and practicing with the Gators all summer, Aberdeen had hoped to convince the NCAA that his freshman year in Gainesville should be treated as a redshirt season.

However, the NCAA's new eligibility model, which allows players to accrue five years of eligibility, starting at age 19 or upon high school graduation, has led to numerous lawsuits from players in the class of 2022. As of last week, there have been 79 lawsuits involving 450 plaintiffs across all sports, with 234 in men's basketball and 33 in women's basketball.

Of that group, 154 men's players and 26 women's players have received some degree of relief from the courts, while the rest remain ineligible. If Aberdeen obtains a temporary restraining order, he would take the starting role from Xaivian Lee. The Gators are heavily favored to win the championship in 2027, and Coach Todd Golden has retained most of last year's roster, including big men Alex Condon, Thomas Haugh, and Rueben Chinyelu.