Talk about a plot twist right before a huge game. The Arizona Wildcats Football program just got a major boost from the courtroom that completely changes the vibe ahead of their highly anticipated matchup against No. 15 BYU this weekend.
According to Ben Criddle of
ESPN
, "A Pima County judge has granted a temporary restraining order allowing Arizona RB Ismail Mahdi and LB Max Harris to play Saturday at No. 15 BYU." The order also applies to Arizona punter Sullivan Moon, giving the Wildcats another player who can potentially return to action.
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If you followed the team last year, you know how huge this is. Mahdi had a phenomenal year last season, leading the team with 859 rushing yards and four touchdowns. Harris, on the other hand, had 78 combined tackles to finish third on the team. And not to forget that for both of them, it was their first campaign at the UA after transferring from Texas State.
So, having these two elite anchors forced to watch from the sidelines during the Wildcats' dominant 35-7 season-opening win against NAU last week was an incredibly tough pill to swallow.
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The reason they were sidelined in the first place comes down to an eligibility dispute with the NCAA. The players filed a lawsuit challenging their exclusion from the NCAA's new age-based five-year eligibility system.
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The NCAA recently replaced its previous eligibility framework with an age-based system that generally gives eligible athletes a five-year window in which to compete. But the change did not extend an additional season to many athletes from the 2022 high school class who had already exhausted their previous eligibility and were seeking a fifth season in 2026-27. The players argued in court that the exclusion was arbitrary and unsupported by the NCAA's written rules, so they turned to the Texas Trial Group and Farhang & Medcoff to challenge the NCAA in court.
That said, unlike LSU, which sought to roster former NFL players Dae'Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris after their brief professional stints, the Arizona players never had professional playing experience. Nonetheless, the order will not take effect until the plaintiffs post $1,000 in bond or other security, with the deadline set for September 14.
Once the required security is posted, the TRO will take effect, allowing them to compete while the case proceeds, head out to the hostile environment of LaVell Edwards Stadium, and try to pull off an upset against Kalani Sitake's top-15 ranked powerhouse.
Although this is incredibly exciting news for the weekend, the drama isn't entirely over just yet. For now, the court order is only temporary, with the next major hearing scheduled for September 21, where the NCAA will have an opportunity to argue why the temporary relief should not be continued and why the requested preliminary injunction should not be granted.
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Well, until then, Arizona fans can breathe a huge sigh of relief.
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