NC State CB Corey Coley Jr. Loses Lawsuit Against NCAA for a 5th Year of Eligibility

Back in February, NC State Cornerback Corey Coley Jr. filed a lawsuit against the NCAA, appealing for a 5th year of collegiate eligibility.

According to WRAL, a North Carolina District Court Judge denied Coley Jr.’s request in preliminary injunction.

Judge James C. Dever III in the Eastern District of North Carolina denied the request for a preliminary injunction, writing in his order that “the balance of hardships does not favor Coley” and that by granting his request he would upend the NCAA’s Division I Bylaws affecting more than 180,000 athletes. 

Further, he wrote, “even if the court granted Coley the relief he requests, nothing guarantees that Coley will get the additional playing time and NIL money he seeks.” (WRAL)

Coley Jr. transferred to NC State from Maryland prior to the 2024 football season. In his first three seasons at Maryland, Coley Jr. played 10+ games each year, including his True Freshman season. As a result, he came to NC State with his Redshirt season still intact.

Last Fall, Coley Jr. played in the first 6 games of the season, but after suffering injuries, he was unable to play for the remainder of the year. Had he only played in 4 games, he would have been able to count 2024 as a Redshirt season.

Coley Jr. played in 213 snaps in the first 6 games of the season for the Wolfpack in 2024, starting in two of the contests. He had 10 tackles, with 2 pass breakups, with a PFF grade of 66.4.

NC State filed with the NCAA for an additional “Medical Hardship” season to be granted to Coley Jr., but their request was denied.