The NCAA has appealed a Mississippi court’s preliminary injunction that permits Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss to play in 2026. The appeal was filed with the Mississippi Supreme Court after a Chancery Court judge sided with Chambliss and Ole Miss earlier this year.
The original ruling, issued in February, found that the NCAA failed to properly consider Chambliss’ medical evidence from the 2022 season, during which he did not play. Judge Robert Whitwell concluded that denying Chambliss a sixth year of eligibility would cause “irreparable harm” and granted the injunction blocking the NCAA from enforcing its eligibility decision against him.
The NCAA contends in its appeal that allowing the injunction to stand will cause “irreparable harm” to the organization and its members. The organization is asking the court to overrule the preliminary injunction and expedite a decision.
The NCAA argues that the trial court erred by suggesting it acted in bad faith by not assigning weight to certain evidence and by reviewing an NCAA eligibility decision for arbitrariness. The organization warns that court interventions could undermine the NCAA’s authority to enforce consistent rules across college athletics.
Chambliss’s attorney, Tom Mars, responded to the appeal, telling ESPN that the NCAA’s actions resemble its previous legal challenges, referencing the Alston case. Mars said he expects the NCAA to face challenges in this appeal as well.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
