Trinidad Chambliss and the NCAA’s eligibility crisis

Yahoo Sports AM is our daily newsletter that keeps you up to date on all things sports. Sign up here to get it every weekday morning.

🚨 Headlines

🥇 Olympics highlights: Chloe Kim settled for silver in the halfpipe behind South Korean teenager Gaon Choi; the U.S. men’s hockey team crushed Latvia, 5-1, in their group stage opener; cross-country legend Jessie Diggins, nursing bruised ribs, took bronze in the 10km freestyle for her fourth career medal in her final Games.

Advertisement

🏀 Fined for tanking: The NBA fined the Jazz ($500,000) and Pacers ($100,000) for “overt” tanking behavior that “prioritizes draft position over winning,” as both have held players out of (or removed players from) games without good reason.

📺 Olympics viewership way up: The first five days of the Winter Games averaged 26.5 million viewers across NBC’s platforms, a 93% increase over a comparable point in the Beijing Olympics four years ago.

⚾️ Pitch-stealing crackdown: MLB owners have voted to enforce a rule that prevents first- and third-base coaches from leaving their boxes until after a pitch is thrown. The goal: curb the practice of those coaches seeing, and then relaying to hitters, what pitch is coming next.

🏀 LeBron makes history: LeBron James had 28 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists in the Lakers’ win over the Mavericks, becoming the oldest player in NBA history to record a triple-double (41 years, 44 days). Karl Malone previously held the record at 40 years, 127 days.

Advertisement

🎓 The NCAA’s eligibility crisis

Trinidad Chambliss’ push for an extra year of eligibility has paid off. After being denied twice by the NCAA, the Ole Miss QB was granted an injunction in Mississippi state court on Thursday that allows him to play for the Rebels in 2026.

From Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger:

For years now, I’ve searched for a simple way to explain the current state of college athletics to those unfamiliar. How do you best help people understand the instability of a structure and system so profitable and popular?

“Everything seems to be going well. What’s all the hubbub about?” they’ll say. Perhaps they are right. Perhaps the cries of chaos from stakeholders are only necessary growing pains for an entity evolving from amateur to professional. Perhaps that’s OK.

Advertisement

But on Thursday afternoon, for a few fleeting moments, a realtime snapshot existed that, more than anything, highlights the absurd state of the industry.

Within a county courthouse, situated in the tiniest of towns in the most rural of areas in north Mississippi, a 23-year-old’s collegiate eligibility — his Heisman Trophy hopes, his team’s championship aspirations, his more than $5 million in promised compensation — hinged on a decision from a 70-plus-year-old chancery court judge who just so happens to hold a law degree from the school, Ole Miss, that stands to benefit most from his ruling.

This is less than ideal. Set aside your feelings on the decision from Judge Robert Q. Whitwell to grant Trinidad Chambliss an extra year of eligibility. Remove the names and school logos. Put away your inherent bias and partiality. Look at the whole.

Is it healthy for college sports to have the eligibility of athletes determined within courtrooms across America?

Advertisement

In fact, as Whitwell, his Southern accent thick enough to peel paint, completed the 90-minute reading of his order and subsequent decision, the judge grew emotional, unable to keep within the joyous feelings of being the man who permitted Chambliss another year of collegiate eligibility, another chance to chase dreams, to earn millions.

It was a scene ripped from the pages of a novel from famed Mississippi-reared author John Grisham.

Zoom out: Since Vanderbilt QB Diego Pavia successfully sued the NCAA in December of 2024, Chambliss is the 11th player to receive an injunction for extended eligibility in 55 lawsuits filed.

Advertisement

Seven of those 11 successful injunctions have come in state court from a local judge — a new way that attorneys have found to reach a decision that most benefits their clients, moving away from filing federally.

About a dozen cases are still pending, including one coming Friday, when Tennessee QB Joey Aguilar and attorneys plan to argue for an eighth year of eligibility before, yes, a Tennessee judge.

In its statement in reaction to the Chambliss news, the NCAA says the decision illustrates the “impossible situation” created from differing court decisions in lawsuits supported by its member schools attacking the very rules that they created.

These “conflicting court decisions,” the statement read, make “partnering with Congress essential to provide stability” — another plea to lawmakers to adopt federal legislation to govern the industry.

Advertisement

At the very least, all of this has provided something personally useful: I’ve found a simple way to explain the current state of college athletics to those unfamiliar.

A courthouse. Congress. And an infinity of billable hours.

Read the full story.

🥇 Medal table: Day 7

45 of 116 events completed. Full table.

📺 Weekend Watchlist

🥇 Olympics

The second weekend of the Milan Cortina Games is upon us, with 29 medal events from now through Monday night of this long holiday weekend. Here’s a brief look at some of Team USA’s biggest storylines:

• Ilia goes for gold: Ilia Malinin still hasn’t pulled off his patented quadruple axel, but he has landed three backflips and enters today’s free skate (12:45pm ET, USA) in first place after a dominant performance in the short program.

• Hockey continues: The U.S. women face Italy today in the quarterfinals (3:10pm, USA) ahead of Monday’s semifinals, while the men play Denmark (Sat. 3:10pm, USA) and Germany (Sun. 3:10pm, USA) in the group stage.

Plus: 17-year-old Alessandro Barbieri goes for gold in the snowboard halfpipe final (Fri. 1:30pm, NBC); speed skating phenom Jordan Stolz continues his pursuit of four golds in the 500m final (Sat. 11am, NBC); five-time Olympians Kaillie Humphries and Elana Meyers Taylor compete in the monobob (Sun-Mon, Peacock) four years after taking gold and silver in Beijing.

Advertisement

Good read: Has the U.S. finally found the heir to Shaun White in Alessandro Barbieri? (Dan Wolken, Yahoo Sports)

Shaun White didn’t just build a business empire on the back of Olympic medals, he practically built the entire sport of halfpipe into a worldwide phenomenon. But when he retired from competitive snowboarding four years ago, there was one thing he hadn’t built: a bench of American stars ready to take his place. We’re about to find out if that’s on the verge of changing.

Full schedule.

🏀 NBA All-Star Weekend

The 75th NBA All-Star Game is this weekend at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles. The action begins with tonight’s Celebrity Game (7pm, ESPN) and Rising Stars (9pm, Peacock), continues with All-Star Saturday (5pm, NBC) and ends with Sunday’s new-look main event (5pm, NBC).

Advertisement

USA vs. World: All-Stars have been split into three teams: two made up of American players and one made up of international players. Those teams will play a three-game round-robin, with the top two advancing to the championship. Each game is 12 minutes.

• USA Stars: Scottie Barnes (TOR), Devin Booker (PHX), Cade Cunningham (DET), Jalen Duren (DET), Anthony Edwards (MIN), Chet Holmgren (OKC), Jalen Johnson (ATL), Tyrese Maxey (PHI)

• USA Stripes: LeBron James (LAL), Kevin Durant (HOU), Kawhi Leonard (LAC), Jaylen Brown (BOS), Jalen Brunson (NYK), Donovan Mitchell (CLE), Brandon Ingram* (TOR), De’Aaron Fox* (SAS)

• Team World: Nikola Jokić (DEN), Luka Dončić (LAL), Victor Wembanyama (SAS), Karl-Anthony Towns (NYK), Jamal Murray (DEN), Pascal Siakam (IND), Alperen Şengün* (HOU), Deni Avdija (POR), Norman Powell (MIA)

*Injury replacements: Ingram replaced Steph Curry (knee); Fox replaced Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf); Şengün replaced Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (abdominal)

Good read: Breaking down the weekend’s big questions (Dan Devine, Yahoo Sports)

Will basketball fans come away from the festivities waxing poetic about the avalanche of talent from all over the world currently on display in the NBA game? Or, will a weekend that seemingly remains tilted toward content creation, influencers and marketing partnerships leave fans wondering whether something that’s seemed broken for years might not actually be able to reset and heal.

Advertisement

🏁 Daytona 500

The NASCAR season begins on Sunday in central Florida (2:30pm, Fox), where 41 drivers will compete for a record $31 million purse at Daytona International Speedway.

• Busch seeks first win: Kyle Busch’s quest for his maiden Daytona 500 victory (0-for-20) will start from the pole position after he earned the top spot.

• Byron chases history: William Byron, one of five drivers to win back-to-back Daytona 500s, will try to become the first to make it three straight.

Weather forecast: The last two editions of the Daytona 500 were delayed by rain. The same thing could happen again this year with rain (and possible thunderstorms) expected on Sunday.

Good read: There’s never been another Dale Earnhardt, and there never will be (Jay Busbee, Yahoo Sports)

25 years after his sudden, shocking death on the final lap of the 2001 Daytona 500, Earnhardt remains as vital to NASCAR as ever. No other driver has ever come close to matching The Intimidator’s impact. And given the way that NASCAR, and American culture, have trended in the years since his death, it’s likely no one ever will.

Advertisement

More to watch:

• 🏀 NCAAM: No. 20 Clemson at No. 4 Duke (Sat. 12pm, ESPN); No. 9 Kansas at No. 5 Iowa State (Sat. 1pm, ABC); No. 25 Kentucky at No. 14 Florida (Sat. 3pm, ABC); No. 16 Texas Tech at No. 1 Arizona (Sat. 6:30pm, ESPN)

• 🏀 NCAAW: No. 3 South Carolina at No. 6 LSU (Sat. 8:30pm, ABC); No. 21 UNC at No. 11 Duke (Sun. 1pm, ABC); No. 13 Michigan State at No. 7 Michigan (Sun. 4pm, FS1) … Three of eight ranked matchups.

• ⛳️ PGA: Pebble Beach Pro-Am (Fri-Sun, ESPN+/Golf/CBS) … Ryo Hisatsune (-10) leads after Round 1, with Sam Burns (-9) and Keegan Bradley (-9) just behind.

• ⚾️ NCAA Baseball: Opening Weekend (Fri-Sun, ESPN+) … No. 2 LSU, the reigning national champs, lead a stacked SEC that features 11 teams in the top 25.

• 🏉 Six Nations: Week 2 of 5 (Sat-Sun, Peacock) … The annual rugby tournament featuring England, Ireland, Wales, Scotland, Italy and France.

• 🥍 NCAA Lacrosse: No. 1 Maryland at No. 2 Syracuse (Fri. 6pm, ACC) … The Terrapins (1-0) have won eight straight against the Orange (2-0).

Got plans this weekend? Gametime is the best place to score last-minute tickets to the events happening in your city. Get tickets now!

💯 Big numbers

🏀 40-13

The Eastern Conference-leading Pistons enter the NBA All-Star break with the best record in the league (40-13, .755), just ahead of the Western-Conference leading Thunder (42-13, .750).

As a reminder: Two years ago, the Pistons were 8-46 entering the All-Star break and finished 14-68, which was not only the worst record in the NBA that season but one of the worst in league history. Quite the turnaround in Detroit.

🥌 54 years old

54-year-old curler Rich Ruohonen finally got his Olympic shot on Thursday when he became the oldest American ever to compete in the Winter Games — and one of just three to do so over the age of 50.

Advertisement

The others: At age 52, Joseph Savage was part of the duo that finished seventh in the pairs figure skating competition at the 1932 Lake Placid Olympics. 16 years later, Mac MacCarthy, then 51, competed in skeleton at the 1948 Games in St. Moritz, Switzerland.

🏀 7 freshmen

Seven freshmen are among the 20 players named to the men’s Wooden Award late midseason watchlist. Cameron Boozer (Duke) is the perceived favorite, and he’s joined by AJ Dybantsa (BYU), Darryn Peterson (Kansas), Caleb Wilson (UNC), Kingston Flemings (Houston), Darius Acuff Jr. (Arkansas) and Keaton Wagler (Illinois). The rest of the list: four sophomores, three juniors, four seniors and two grad students.

Advertisement

Meanwhile, for the women: Aaliyah Chavez (Oklahoma) is the lone freshman in the Top 20, which features five sophomores, six juniors, five seniors and three grad students.

🏈 9th year

Montana linebacker Solomon Tuliaupupu will return for the 2026 season after being granted a ninth year of eligibility (!!!) by the NCAA. The California native, who turns 26 next month, is entering his second season at Montana after seven years at USC, where he suffered multiple season-ending injuries.

Consider this: Tuliaupupu was in the same recruiting class as Micah Parsons, who just completed his fifth NFL season.

Advertisement

🏁 NASCAR trivia

The NASCAR season opens this weekend with the 68th running of the Daytona 500.

Question: The Daytona 500 is also known as ______.

(A) “The Stock Car World Series”

(B) “The Great American Race”

(C) “The Pinnacle of Motorsports”

(D) “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing”

Answer at the bottom.

📸 Photo finish

Soaring into the weekend like…

_________________________________________________________________________________

Trivia answer: (B) “The Great American Race”

We hope you enjoyed this edition of Yahoo Sports AM, our daily newsletter that keeps you up to date on all things sports. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox every weekday morning.