The NCAA has appealed OU redshirt senior linebacker Owen Heinecke's additional year of eligibility after a Cleveland County court judge granted him an injunction on April 16.
Oklahoma Supreme Court Clerk's Office confirmed to the Daily in a Friday phone call an appeal has been submitted by the NCAA against the ruling in Cleveland County which granted Heinecke an extra year of eligibility.
According to court records, on Friday afternoon, the NCAA filed a fast-track docket which is a specialized accelerated court procedure to expedite legal cases.
"The district court erroneously granted Mr. Heinecke his requested injunctive relief," the filing reads. "...The district court erred by concluding he met his burden by 'clear and convincing' evidence."
OU Athletics Communications and OU Marketing and Communications declined to provide a statement about the appeal and directed the Daily to reach out to legal counsel.
The Daily reached out to NCAA's attorney Colin Tucker Friday but he was out of office.
On April 16, Heinecke testified before Judge Thad Balkman, an OU Law graduate, on the basis that he has played only three seasons of college football, though the NCAA’s rules give every student-athlete four. Heinecke added he was prevented from playing football his freshman year at Ohio State due to COVID-related recruiting disruptions, injuries and the program not holding walk-on tryouts until spring 2022. He ultimately played lacrosse for the school.
OU football head coach Brent Venables and general manager Jim Nagy testified in support of Heinecke alongside his high coach JJ Tappana and OU Director of Compliance Brady Newville.
In March, Heinecke filed a preliminary injunction against the NCAA for another season of eligibility after the association determined the three lacrosse games Heinecke played for Ohio State in 2022 counts toward his five-year period of eligibility.
Heinecke is not the only college football player to have successfully filed an injunction for another year of eligibility in 2026. Mississippi quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, a sixth-year senior next season, was granted another year of eligibility after a Mississippi Supreme Court judge denied the NCAA's appeal of his injunction. He redshirted for Ferris State in 2021, missed the 2022 season due to respiratory issues, played two seasons there in 2023-24 before having a successful season at Mississippi in 2025.
