Less than two weeks ago, Carter Loflin was navigating the historic fairways of Merion Golf Club, capping off an underdog run to the semifinals of the U.S. Amateur. Now, just after that, his trajectory seems to have shifted. Today, the standout amateur finds himself locked in a high-stakes legal battle with college sports’ governing body, the NCAA.
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As Cameron Jourdan reported on X, “Carter Loflin, a U.S. Amateur semifinalist, is suing the NCAA seeking a fifth year of eligibility at Georgia this season. The Bulldogs begin their 2026-27 campaign Sunday.”
To understand the reason behind this, you’ll first need to know the move the NCAA made this summer.
What is Loflin’s Lawsuit Challenging?
The lawsuit challenges the NCAA’s new age-based eligibility framework, commonly called the “five-for-five” rule. It gives student-athletes five full seasons of competition within a five-year period, unlike the previous one that gave four seasons in a five-year window tied to an athlete’s eligibility status.
However, for Loflin and many athletes in the high school class of 2022, the new rule doesn’t apply. Those who entered college after high school, used four consecutive seasons of eligibility, and never redshirted are not automatically included in the transition provisions.
Thus, after four years with the Bulldogs, Loflin is now seeking the opportunity to play one more season at Georgia.
Loflin’s attorney Nik Erramilli explained the case
“The 2018, 19, 20, and 21 classes all got COVID waivers. They all got a fifth year and sixth year at times. This five-for-five rule, the NCAA is saying, if you came into the college in 2023 and began competing, you are eligible for it. For some arbitrary reason, just this class is, for some reason, just not allowed,” as reported by the Athens Banner-Herald.
So what are Loflin’s demands? Well, according to multiple sources, he is seeking a temporary restraining order in the Superior Court of Athens-Clarke County. His attorney, Nik Erramilli, told the Athens Banner-Herald’s Marc Weiszer and was the first to report the filing. That said, according to his attorney, Georgia golf has already kept a roster spot waiting for the amateur if the court rules in his favor.
How was Loflin’s run with the Bulldogs?
Loflin’s request comes after a four-year run in Georgia’s program that began once he finished high school in 2022. His final season was his most productive, as he earned individual titles at the Hamptons Intercollegiate and the Linger Longer Invitational while recording more top-10 finishes than any other Bulldog.
However, his eligibility dispute stems from the NCAA’s shift to a five-year participation framework. Because the policy does not extend the same benefit to athletes who started college in 2022 and used four straight seasons, Loflin is now asking a court to allow him one more year with Georgia.
His attorney also believes another season could create more opportunities for Loflin in the college game. Loflin is seeking a separate injunction that would prevent the NCAA from penalizing him or Georgia if a court later reverses a temporary restraining order or injunction.
For Loflin, the case carries stakes well beyond one more season of college golf. A fifth year would preserve his ability to earn through NIL, keep him in the Georgia program, and give him more time before deciding whether to turn professional.
However, the court rules in his lawsuit add to the growing pressure surrounding NCAA eligibility policy and the broader fight that the NCAA has urged Congress to address.