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Former Appalachian State wide receiver Kaedin Robinson has filed a lawsuit against the NCAA in his push to play for UCLA football. After applying, he was denied an eligibility waiver and is pushing to play for one more season in college football. The denial has only confused because he is a former junior college player. He has a chance to be a massive target for new transfer quarterback Nico Iamaleava.
Robinson was initially thought to have an extra season of eligibility because the NCAA issued a blanket waiver to junior college players following Diego Pavia's action against the governing body. However, Robinson's name only brought up more confusion than anything else. According to On3's On3's Nakos, he was offered an NIL contract worth $450,000 to play for the Bruins.
Nakos said, “The 2024 All-Sun Belt selection could be Nico Iamaleava's WR option if he wins the suit against the NCAA.”
He earned All-Sun Belt honors after finishing with 53 receptions for 840 receiving yards and two touchdowns. He started his career at ASA Brooklyn Junior College before transferring to UCF. Then, he played the last three seasons at App State. He has 148 receptions for 2,194 yards and 15 touchdowns in his career. He also averages 14.8 yards per catch for his career out wide.
Robinson filed a 19-page complaint on Tuesday. In the complaint, Robinson argues that the NCAA’s rule is “unfair” because it has “substantial” anticompetitive effects on junior college players.
The lawsuit states, “The CAA's competitive conduct, coupled with its unreasonable denial of Robinson's torrid request for a waiver, thus threatens him with immediate irreparable harm.”
If “obinson wins against the NCAA, he would immediately become Nico Iamaleava's target for the UCLA football offense. He would pair well with former Cal wide receiver Mikey Matthews, who also came over this offseason.
“Despite the obvious and immediate harm that Robinson will suffer if not granted the requested relief, the NCAA has refused to grant him a waiver of the Five-Year Rule (and thus also refused to grant him the Pavia Waiver, which is dependent on the waiver of the Five-Year Rule),” the lawsuit states. “The CAA has done so confusingly and inconsistently, even though it granted the Pavia Waiver on a blanket basis for purposes of the Intercollegiate Competition Rule. This Court's intervention is needed to right this wrong.”
Robinson's suit could have wide-ranging impacts on junior college players and continue to help reshape college eligibility in today's world. It would be the second significant change after Diego Pavia's injunction was proposed to rewrite those rules.
