The NCAA is already due to address so many pending cases, and it just got slapped with another one. College football is seeing one more player take the top brass to court as he fights for his career. It’s an issue that can put players in a limbo, especially threatening their NIL deals. Will the NCAA bend to the players’ demands? Or will it keep him in a drought and cause him to miss out on an important sum?

After Diego Pavia, Indiana‘s Louis Moore is moving to court. Like the Vanderbilt QB, he is fighting for the same demand: one more year of eligibility. The DB is yet to join practice, as he has exhausted his years of eligibility according to the standing rules. This season was going to be a homecoming for Moore, considering he played 2 seasons at Ole Miss before coming back to Indiana after his first stint. However, he played one season with Navarro Junior College, which falls under JUCO football.

In the NCAA’s eyes, this counts as one year of eligibility, but Moore wants otherwise. According to him, this year of JUCO football “should not be counted against him.” His attorney, Brian P. Lauten, told ESPN’s Heather Dinich. If Moore is kept out of college football this year, he could be looking at losses amounting $400,000 in NILs. Lauten said that the rule [Sherman Antitrust Act] “discriminates against athletes who attend or desire to go to junior college.” Simply put, the law encourages competition in economic activities and prevents building monopolies.

“Several federal courts have already found that this five-year eligibility rule, as it applies to junior colleges, violates the Sherman Antitrust Act, and it’s an illegal anticompetitive by law,” Lauten added. Louis Moore and his counsel have followed the path of Pavia’s case, using it as legal precedent. It’s been a little tricky at the court when it comes to gaining extra years of eligibility, as seen in Rahsul Faison‘s situation. It’s unclear when Moore, who has already had plenty of game and starting experience, will join practice, and when his lawsuit will next see a development.

Diego Pavia fought his case on exactly similar grounds. Pavia came to Vanderbilt after playing college football with New Mexico Military Institute, a JUCO program. Pavia argued in his case that he be granted an extra year of eligibility. This was partly because JUCOs do not fall under the NCAA’s limits. And thereby, his time here should not be considered. The Court said in its ruling, “The eligibility bylaws induce potential football players to attend NCAA institutions rather than non-NCAA institutions even when non-NCAA institutions, such as junior colleges, might be in their best interest. Therefore, the rule harms student athletes when they are making decisions on whether to attend a junior college or an NCAA institution.”

JUCO footballers have a tough time transitioning to the NCAA, especially when they come with some experience. At Navarro Junior, Moore played as a safety and a WR in 2020 and 2021. He totaled 48 catches for 785 yards and 5 TDs, while registering 18 tackles as a safety. He played for the Rebels for two years after his first stint at Bloomington. Last year, he finished with 37 tackles and was going to be a strong member of the depth chart. However, in the event that Moore sees an unfavorable judgment, things look grim.

Louis Moore was a great fix to Curt Cignetti’s already depleted safety room

Curt Cignetti lost his key production in this room, because of no more eligible years. He no longer had Shawn Ashbury II, Terry Jones Jr., Nic Toomer, and Josh Sanguinetti. They were the top safeties in the department. And, Ashbury had the 3-highest snaps on the defense, with 723. As the top 4 bowed out, they found a great solution in Louis Moore, who was a standout with the Indiana system and could prove to be a leader as well. In 2023, Moore had 83 tackles to his name.

The only other person whom Moore would have had to fight off for a bigger role is returning player Amare Ferrell. He registered 49 tackles, 5 pass breakups, and 4 INTs last season. Both familiar with the Indiana system, Moore and Ferrell will likely feature at the free or strong positions. Moore was a notable addition to that group, and he could be a reliable figure if he gets a chance to play. In case Moore fails to make it through the lawsuit when the season rolls, Cignetti will be staring at absolutely new faces.

In that case, Ferrell would be the lead safety. Following him would be 4-star prospect Byron Baldwin Jr.’s birthday. There’s also Garrett Reese, and another 6th-year transfer, Devan Boykin. If Moore does have to bid college football goodbye by the end of the lawsuit, Curt Cignetti’s secondary will largely be comprising of new faces. Again, this is a program that has found a newfound drive ever since Curt Cignetti took hold. They maintained the momentum. But the third is where the test truly comes in. With someone like Louis Moore embroiled in a legal case, and a safety room that’s overwhelmingly so fresh, who will the HC look to for help?