Purdue's Bakyne Coly is suing the NCAA, arguing his time participating for a non-NCAA program shouldn't count against his Division I eligibility.
A member of the Purdue football team is challenging the NCAA in court, arguing that time spent playing at a non-NCAA program shouldn't count against his NCAA eligibility.
In a lawsuit filed in the Northern Indiana district federal court by Atium "Bakyne" Coly, certain NCAA bylaws have restricted the number of years he was eligible to play Division I football.
Coly never played organized football until enrolling at Lawrence Technological University in Michigan, which competes athletically in NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics), not affiliated with the NCAA. He joined the Blue Devils football team in 2021 and played two seasons.
Lawrence Tech had three games in 2021 canceled and Coly missed two additional games after a positive COVID-19 test, the lawsuit states.
Coly transferred to Purdue in 2023 and redshirted that season before playing 23 games over the past two years, including starting all 12 games at right tackle for the Boilermakers last fall. Coly's lawsuit claims he's played only one full season of NAIA football and two seasons of NCAA Division I football. He's currently seeking a sixth season of college football eligibility.
Citing a 2024 lawsuit filed by former Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia, where the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee ruled NCAA eligibility and competition rules were "commercial in nature," and violated the Sherman Act. Pavia, who played one season of junior college football, was given a preliminary injunction and ultimately was eligible and competed for Vanderbilt in the 2025 season after an NCAA appeal was dismissed.
According to Coly's lawsuit, Purdue University submitted an eligibility waiver submitted on Dec. 18, 2025. On Jan. 13, 2026, that request to not include his time at a non-NCAA program against his eligibility was denied. Coly's lawsuit states his time at Lawrence Tech led to "lost meaningful opportunities of competition due to COVID-related disruptions."
Coly's lawsuit argues NAIA programs do not offer school-funded revenue sharing, which is now in place at NCAA programs, allowing student-athletes to be compensated directly from the school, along with additional opportunities to capitalize on Name, Image and Likeness (NIL).
The lawsuit states the NCAA excludes Coly "from the most commercially valuable level of college football at the precise moment when his development, experience, and performance position him to contribute meaningfully on the field and in the NIL and institutional revenue-sharing marketplace."
According to a social media graphic posted by the Purdue football account on Wednesday, Coly is one of 19 players from Purdue's 2025 roster participating in Purdue Pro Day on March 4, where pro football hopefuls perform drills in front of NFL scouts.
Coly is seeking permanent injunctive relief that would allow him to compete at an NCAA institution for the 2026-27 academic year. The lawsuit states Coly is a current West Lafayette resident and intends to maintain residency in West Lafayette.
"The NCAA's Five-Year Rule does not merely harm Coly individually," the lawsuit states. "It shrinks the available labor pool for NCAA Division I football, reduces competition among NCAA Division I schools and non-Division I schools for athletes, suppresses NIL and revenue-sharing opportunities, and forecloses competition in a market for NCAA Division I-level football players that NCAA Division I currently dominates."
Sam King covers sports for the Journal & Courier. Email him at [email protected] and follow him on X and Instagram @samueltking.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Purdue football player Atium Bakyne Coly sues NCAA over eligibility
Category: General Sports
