Five former Syracuse lacrosse players sue NCAA for extra year
Five former Syracuse lacrosse players want another year in college. Their NCAA suit could keep Joey Spallina and teammates in orange for 2027.
Five former Syracuse men's lacrosse players have sued the NCAA in Colorado court, seeking an extra year that could let Joey Spallina, Finn Thomson, Billy Dwan III, Michael Leo and Luke Rhoa play a fifth season in 2027.
The timing is critical for Syracuse. The NCAA Division I Cabinet unanimously approved an age-based eligibility model on June 24 that would generally give Division I athletes up to five years of eligibility if they enter college no later than the academic year after their 19th birthday, replacing sport-specific rules and waivers. The NCAA also says the shorthand "5 for 5" is not technically the right label.
That new system will not fully take hold until the fall 2027 incoming class, and existing players may remain under the old rules. ESPN has said athletes whose fourth year of college eligibility was completed by spring 2026 would not receive more eligibility under the new model, which is why the Syracuse players are pressing the issue now.
For Syracuse University, the outcome would reach far beyond a rules dispute. If the court gives the five players another season, the Orange would have more time to build around a familiar core, adjust recruiting plans and chase NIL opportunities with veterans who already know the program's system and expectations.
That matters in a sport where continuity can decide a postseason run. Syracuse lacrosse has long measured itself against the national elite, and keeping Spallina and four classmates in the fold for 2027 would change how the program approaches the next roster cycle, from leadership on the field to the way it positions itself in the transfer and NIL market.
The case also fits into a broader shift in college sports governance, as the NCAA pushes toward one Division I standard instead of a patchwork of sport-specific waivers. For Syracuse fans, the stakes are immediate: whether the players who helped shape the last several seasons get one more year in orange, or whether the new system arrives just too late for them.
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