‘The Rules Are Made Up,’ ‘So Messy’ — CFB World Reacts As Texas Tech QB Thomas Castellanos’ Eligibility Takes Legal Hit
· Yahoo Sports
The 2026 college football season has been anything but normal, with the new season bringing a new wave of eligibility questions as programs adjust to the NCAA’s updated rules.
The NCAA’s new five-year eligibility rules have already led to multiple lawsuits, with court decisions creating uncertainty for players seeking an additional season.
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Texas Tech is now dealing with that uncertainty just before a major Week 5 matchup after entering the weekend unbeaten, but Friday’s court ruling forced the Red Raiders to adjust their quarterback plans ahead of Saturday’s game at Colorado.
CFB Fans React After Thomas Castellanos Is Ruled Ineligible
Texas Tech backup quarterback Thomas Castellanos was ruled ineligible after a three-judge panel of the Kentucky Court of Appeals sided with the NCAA and dissolved a temporary injunction that had allowed a group of Class of 2022 athletes to compete for a fifth season of eligibility.
As a result, Castellanos will not play against the Colorado Buffaloes in Boulder. He appeared in all four games as a situational backup to Will Hammond, accounting for four touchdowns — two passing and two rushing.
The ruling quickly drew reactions from the college football community. One user on X wrote, “This is crazy.”
Another added, “College football is so messy right now.”
The Kentucky court’s involvement also raised questions among fans who were trying to understand why the case was being decided there. One fanasked on X, “Why Kentucky?”
The case was originally filed in Jefferson County Circuit Court in Louisville, which is why the Kentucky court system became involved.
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Beyond the location of the case, the timing of the ruling became another major point of frustration. One fan argued that eligibility decisions should be settled before the season rather than changing a team’s roster after games have already been played.
They wrote, “This is why these temporary injunctions do more harm than good.”
“Regardless of which side of the fence you sit on over these extra years of eligibility, all of these decisions need to be made before the season starts. Mid-season retroactive decisions just hurt the entire team.”
The legal complications have also made it harder for fans to keep up with college football.
One X user joked about the amount of legal knowledge seemingly required to keep track of eligibility cases, writing, “Following college football in 2026 should count as credits toward a law degree.”
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Beat reporter Jake Schwanitz then offered a broader, sarcastic take on the uncertainty surrounding the rules, commenting, “Welcome to College Football in 2026, where the rules are made up, and no one knows who’s eligible!”
The Kentucky ruling affects dozens of student-athletes, while the broader lawsuit remains pending. A hearing is scheduled for October 9, leaving the broader eligibility dispute unresolved as Texas Tech prepares to move forward without Castellanos against Colorado.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.