Two-time Southeastern Conference defensive player of the year Zakai Zeigler is suing the NCAA over rules limiting him to four seasons in a five-year window as an unlawful restraint of trade under both federal and Tennessee laws.

Zeigler’s lawsuit was filed Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee. The point guard played four seasons at Tennessee, helping the Volunteers to consecutive Elite Eight berths before graduating earlier this month.

The Vols went 109-36 during Zeigler’s time with the school. Zeigler was a third-team All-American this season, which ended with Tennessee’s loss to eventual national runner-up Houston in the Elite Eight on March 30.

“We have requested a preliminary injunction to allow Zakai to compete in the upcoming season while pursuing his graduate studies,” according to a statement from the Garza Law Firm and Litson PLLC. “We look forward to a swift resolution of this matter so that Zakai can begin preparing for next season.”

The NCAA said in a statement the association fully supports athletes profiting from name, image and likeness along with other benefits and is working for such reforms, which includes a proposed $2.8 billion settlement of an antitrust lawsuit.

“A patchwork of different state laws, executive orders and court opinions, make it challenging for any league to operate on a fair playing field, including at the conference level and that’s why partnering with Congress to develop a national standard would provide stability for student-athletes and schools everywhere,” the NCAA said.

This latest lawsuit against the NCAA notes Zeigler “diligently completed his undergraduate degree in four years” and graduated this month. That makes Zeigler’s lawsuit different from athletes who started careers at junior colleges or lower-division NCAA schools and are seeking a fifth season.

Yet the NCAA rule limiting athletes to four seasons during a five-year window keeps Zeigler from playing a fifth season and earning NIL money in “the most lucrative year of the eligibility window for the vast majority of athletes,” according to the lawsuit.

How much could Zeigler could earn in a fifth season with the Vols? The lawsuit says between $2 million and $4 million for 2025-26, given his record and visibility playing in the Southeastern Conference and based on projections from the Spyre Sports Group, the NIL collective associated with the university.

Athletes who redshirt or take five years to finish an undergraduate degree can earn NIL money each of their five years. The lawsuit also points to the NCAA’s redshirt system controlling who gets access to a fifth year of eligibility.

The lawsuit asks that the NCAA rule be declared a violation of Section 1 of the Sherman Act and Tennessee’s Trade Practices Act.

As Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals and the transfer portal reshape the College Football landscape, analyst Paul Finebaum sounds the alarm, warning of the potential decline of a sport that is very close to America’s heart.

In a recent interview on McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning, Finebaum called the current state of college football an “existential threat,” referring to concerns raised by Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart.

The ‘Bizarre System’ of College Football Can Break the Sport Says Paul Finebaum

Finebaum didn’t mince words when asked about the health of college football.

“I think college football is at a tipping point,” he said, pointing to the massive shifts in the sport’s landscape brought by NIL and the transfer portal.

While the 2024 season delivered some of the most thrilling moments in the sport’s history, like Alabama’s upset over Georgia and Michigan’s gritty Big Ten title run, it also highlighted off-field issues that are creating a slow-burning disconnect.

Finebaum noted that older fans, the backbone of college football’s loyal base, are growing frustrated. The lack of player loyalty, fueled by a transfer portal that allows athletes to leave “at a moment’s notice,” is eroding the emotional ties that bind fans to their teams.

Finebaum’s claims aren’t bogus; the numbers from the previous season show how on the money the analyst’s claims are. For example, in 2024, over 3,000 players entered the transfer portal, a 20% increase from 2022. This churn, combined with NIL deals that can see freshmen earning six-figure sums, has created what Finebaum calls a “bizarre system.”

Kirby Smart, speaking at a Regions Bank event in October 2024, highlighted the absurdity, saying, “It’s not right for a freshman to be paid more than an upperclassman.” Finebaum agrees with the statement, arguing that the issue isn’t players earning money but the lack of commitment to schools that makes the fans cheer for a team.

The Fan Disconnect

College football thrives on tradition. Rivals like Ohio State-Michigan or the Iron Bowl carry the emotions of generations of fans. But according to Finebaum, when players can switch teams with ease, that connection drops.

He acknowledges that the sport’s on-field product remains compelling for sponsors, as the viewership for the 2024 College Football Playoff hit 22.6 million for the championship game. Still, the disconnect can potentially “break” the sport off-field.

KEEP READING: Paul Finebaum Rips New CFP Format

Television executives and administrators may shrug off these concerns, but Finebaum believes the trickle-down effect is inevitable.

In the end, College football isn’t doomed, but it’s at a crossroads. Finebaum’s hope lies in the games themselves, which still captivate millions each Saturday. Yet, as Kirby Smart’s concerns highlight, the sport must address its “bizarre system” to preserve its soul. Without reforms, the disconnect could grow.

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College Football Playoff expansion could drastically alter the landscape for conference championship games. In fact, some high-profile analysts are already calling for the end of league title games.

Former ESPN analyst David Pollack brought up the topic recently on the See Ball Get Ball podcast. He put things in no uncertain terms.

“I think the conference championship games will be an interesting discussion point with that,” Pollack said, referring to playoff expansion. “Again, if you’re going to add on more and more games to the body, yeah, I do think (championship games should go away). But that’s also going to be money. That’s also going to be data points. But yes, that needs to go away.”

There’s going to be quite the tug of war between the powers at be in college football over conference championship games. On the one hand, they can be immense wealth drivers. Games like the SEC and Big Ten championship are huge events.

On the other hand, the games themselves are losing importance with the expanded playoff field. At what point do they become redundant or even a detriment to a team’s playoff aspirations?

Then there’s another factor for Pollack. And he’d know a thing or two about it.

“We need to talk about safety of kids at some point,” Pollack said. “Well when you keep putting on more and more games and they’re finishing with 20 games in a regular season, that’s a lot to ask, man. That’s a lot.”

So could conference championship games disappear altogether? Pollack’s take isn’t shared by everyone.

ESPN’s Pete Thamel believes there’s a world where both conference championship games and an expanded playoff can exist. How remains to be seen.

“I think that’s a conversation that’s going to continue to evolve right now,” Thamel said. “I just, my opinion is I don’t honestly think we’ll get there. I think it will go, there will be a conference championship game with guarantees and then there will be play-in games, if you will, on the others.

“And for the ACC and the Big 12, Jim Phillips in the ACC has been pretty open about creating extra inventory. And, look, in an era where everyone’s trying to squeeze out the last dollar, it would make sense to have two play-in games over one conference championship game. Just bottom line financials.”

President Donald Trump has reportedly expressed interest in forming a federal commission to help navigate the Name, Image and Likeness issues within college athletics, but Nick Saban has reiterated that he does not believe that is necessary.

Trump delivered the commencement address at the University of Alabama earlier this month. Saban, who was the head football coach at the school from 2007-2023, also spoke at the commencement and introduced the president. A report claimed the two spoke before the ceremony and that Saban shared his belief that college sports needs federal rules to guide the implementation of NIL.

That has led to speculation that Trump could form a commission and appoint Saban the leader. While speaking at his Nick’s Kids golf tournament in Birmingham, Ala., on Tuesday, Saban said he is willing to help but has no plans to join a formal commission.

“I know there’s been a lot of stuff out there about some commission or whatever. I don’t think we need a commission,” Saban said. “I’ve said that before. I think we need — we know what the issues are, we just have to have people who are willing to move those and solve those and create some solutions for some of those issues. I’m all for being a consultant to anybody who would think that my experience would be beneficial to helping create some of those solutions.

“I know President Trump is very interested in athletics. He’s very interested in college athletics. He’s very interested in maintaining the idea that people go to college to create value for the future in terms of how they develop as people, students, graduation rate as well as having a balanced, competitive playing field. If I can be a consultant to anyone who might be able to help the future of college athletics, I would be more than happy to do that.”

Saban: “I know President Trump is very interested in athletics. He’s very interested in college athletics. He’s very interested in maintaining the idea that people go to college to create value for the future in terms of how they develop as people, students, graduation rate as…

— Mike Rodak (@mikerodak) May 20, 2025

Saban made similar remarks last week when asked about the possibility of trying to fix college athletics at the federal level.

Since retiring, Saban has been vocal about improvements and changes he believes should be made to college sports, and specifically college football. He has railed against fake injuries and sought rules to penalize that. He also made clear that the lack of rules for NIL has negatively impacted college sports, making college football players professional athletes of sports.

Even if he does not want a formal title, the 73-year-old Saban would undoubtedly have a role if the federal government stepped in to address NIL issues.