Two University of North Carolina athletic programs got a positive break in a Monroe County, Indiana eligibility ruling.
Read more UNC football kicker, three field hockey athletes granted fifth season of eligibility
Judge Kara E. Krothe ordered a preliminary injunction in a case where UNC football kicker Rece Verhoff, field hockey athletes Dani Mendez, Ryleigh Heck and Sietske Brüning and dozens of other athletes all sought an additional season of eligibility, granting all immediate eligibility as the case awaits trial.
That means that Verhoff, who has remained on UNC football’s roster through his eligibility fight and coach Bill Belichick previously said was eligible to practice, could return as the Tar Heels’ starting kicker against Notre Dame on Oct. 3.
The preliminary injunction applies while the case awaits trial. A trial date was not mentioned in the ruling.
“Justice delayed is justice denied applies to this case, many of the Plaintiffs in this case are involved in sports that are already under way,” the ruling read. “They cannot wait until a trial on the merits; the harm will be irreparable from this lost season.”
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Verhoff made 19 of 23 field goals a season ago, connecting on a long of 57 yards. The Tar Heels have hade issues in the field-goal kicking game so far this season, as Aeron Burrell has handled it in addition to the kickoff and punting duties. Burrell has performed well in those areas, but has missed all three of his attempts from 40-plus yards, including a miss that came amid a 28-20 collapse against Clemson on Saturday in Clemson, South Carolina.
Verhoff, a member of the class of 2022 who was not grandfathered into the NCAA’s recent five-on-five ruling, had his eligibility clouded after U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit on Friday granted the NCAA’s request for a stay in the Wisne v. NCAA case.
None of Mendez, Heck or Brüning are on the Tar Heels field hockey roster, but a filing that added their names to the case on Sep. 14 said that all three “will attend the University of North Carolina for the 2026-27 season” if granted another season of eligibility.
Mendez and Heck each started all 23 games for the Tar Heels last season, with Brüning starting 17. Heck currently has 65 goals, which is the seventh most in program history.
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