A federal appeals court has put a temporary stop to a ruling that would have allowed many student-athletes, including SMU safety Ahmaad Moses, to compete for an extra season of college eligibility. The U.S. 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver granted the NCAA's request to pause the lower court's order while the appeals process is underway.
The initial decision by U.S. District Court Judge Charlotte Sweeney stated that athletes who finished high school in 2022 and used their four seasons of eligibility this past spring should be granted an additional year.
This ruling followed legal challenges from players in that class, who claimed they were unfairly denied the same eligibility relief that was given to the Classes of 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic. The NCAA is also moving towards a model that allows for five seasons of play within a five-year timeframe.
Moses, a native of Arlington, started his college football journey at SMU in 2022 and has completed four full seasons with the Mustangs. He was a team captain and earned All-ACC first-team honors in 2025. After an injury during the NFL scouting combine revealed a herniated disk, he went undrafted and is currently unsigned.
While he has not pursued individual legal action for a fifth year, he continues to practice with the team as he awaits the court's final decision. The uncertainty of the legal resolution comes as SMU's season opener against Florida State approaches on Sept. 7.
