Heinecke played three games for Ohio State’s lacrosse team during the 2021 season, which cost him a season of eligibility. Stacy Revere / Getty Images
March 23, 2026Updated 2:43 pm EDT
Oklahoma linebacker Owen Heinecke has filed a lawsuit against the NCAA as he continues to seek another year of college football eligibility, while also preparing for the NFL Draft.
The lawsuit, first reported by Sooner Scoop, was filed Monday in Oklahoma state court and seeks an injunction against the NCAA. A hearing is currently scheduled for April 16, according to the docket. The NFL Draft begins April 23.
Heinecke, who had 74 tackles and earned second-team All-SEC honors last season, was denied an additional year by the NCAA, and his appeal was also denied in February. He participated in the Senior Bowl and the NFL combine in February, running a 4.62 40-yard dash in Indianapolis.
Several players have taken the NCAA to court in an effort to extend their college careers in recent months. Heinecke’s situation is unique in that he lost a year of eligibility because he played in three games as an Ohio State lacrosse walk-on in 2021. He transferred to Oklahoma and joined the football program in 2022, didn’t play that season due to a knee injury, then played 13 games in each of the next three years for the Sooners. Those three lacrosse games totaled about 15 minutes of playing time but started his five-year eligibility clock. He needed an NCAA waiver for a sixth year.
“OU fully supports Owen and his pursuit of a fair opportunity to continue playing the game he loves,” Oklahoma athletic director Roger Denny said in a statement. “We’ll stand firmly beside him as he works to do just that.”
Heinecke participated in the Senior Bowl, NFL combine and Oklahoma’s pro day in case his fight for another year didn’t work out, but the hope for months has been to get another year. Now he joins the growing list of players hoping to get it through the legal system.
“We’re not giving up,” Oklahoma general manager Jim Nagy said earlier this month. “Owen’s just a guy you want to fight for, and we’ve got a locker room full of great young men and Owen’s incredible. Been in a lot of close contact with he and his dad through this process and through Owen’s Senior Bowl and combine. He came back last week, and we were watching practice together, and I think it got him really juiced up about the potential of maybe coming back here and being a Sooner, being around his teammates again, and seeing those guys work.”
An NCAA spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Mar 23, 2026
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