Amid $2.8 billion House vs NCAA settlement, ex-JUCO athlete demands for justice after abrupt end to college eligibility

On Friday, the House v. NCAA settlement was approved by Judge Claudia Wilken. The move ended three federal lawsuits that alleged the NCAA was illegally limiting the earning power of student-athletes in college.

A day after the $2.8 billion House v. NCAA settlement was finalized, former JUCO athlete Nathan Kibambe has demanded justice for those junior college players who do not have any more years of college eligibility.

"We’re asking for one thing: A blanket waiver for JUCO athletes whose five-year clocks started before they entered an NCAA institution. That’s not unlimited eligibility. That’s not special treatment. That’s justice. That’s consistency. That’s what the NCAA claims to stand for." Kibambe tweeted as part of a lengthy message.

Kibambe also explained how junior college athletes were not open to getting NIL deals. He suggested that the NCAA did not did not allow JUCO star an opportunity to pursue professional football.

"The NCAA has acknowledged that student-athletes are part of a commercial system—essentially treating us as employees under collective compensation and NIL structures," Kibambe tweeted. "So if that’s the case, how is it legal to deny us access to our professional futures—by blocking us from Pro Days, eligibility, and NFL exposure? This raises major antitrust concerns and employment law issues. You can’t claim we’re part of the “marketplace” while also denying us a chance to compete in that marketplace. That’s not just unethical—it may be illegal."

"Charlie Baker—this is your moment. And respectfully… it’s wild that I’ve posted about this multiple times, reaching hundreds of thousands of people—and yet, you’ve said nothing. You’re still online retweeting other content while players are sleeping on couches and being denied futures. Fix the waiver. Let us play."

Nathan Kibambe 🇨🇩

@@nathan1kibambe

🚨

@NCAA

@CharlieBakerMA

❗️❗️❗️

Now that the House settlement has been approved, many student-athletes are finally seeing progress.

But what about the rest of us—especially JUCO athletes left behind?

I’ve spoken personally with 50+ players—from FCS, G5, Power 4, who were all told at some point:

“You’re eligible.”

We transferred. We took visits. We practiced. We signed NIL deals.

Then months later—after the NFL Draft, Pro Day, and Combine—we were told: “You’re actually not eligible.”❕

That’s not miscommunication. That’s failure at every level❗️

And while the clock keeps ticking, I know players personally who are sleeping on couches at their schools.

Their leases have ended, their scholarship money is frozen, and they’re not even able to eat consistently—waiting and hoping just to get back on the team.

People’s lives are literally on the line… and it feels like the NCAA couldn’t care less.

You released a blanket waiver with no public explanation, no PDF, and no official statement.

Everything we know has come from outside reporters like

@RossDellenger

and

@chris_hummer

.

Even compliance departments were confused—some schools built full rosters with us, only to be left scrambling weeks before fall camp.

When I called the NCAA directly, they told me:

“We don’t know anything—ask your school.”

When I asked my school, they said I was cleared.

They even updated my Transfer Portal profile to reflect it.

And yet here I am—alongside dozens of others—in limbo.

We’re not being denied for breaking rules…

We’re being denied because the system broke us.”❗️

Players like Diego Pavia, Jett Elad, and Blake Bustard Etc won in court.

But only after spending tens of thousands of dollars.

Most of us can’t afford that. That’s not “access.” That’s economic discrimination‼️

Players like

@__sul3

and

@AshtynHawkins

@brianSantana28

Etc gave everything in spring practice.

They were competing. Participating. Training with their teams.

Then were told they were ineligible—after the NFL Draft.

That’s not just unfair. It’s career sabotage.‼️‼️‼️

Imagine training for your Pro Day your whole life, only to be told in April that you can’t compete❗️

Some of these guys had legit

@NFL

Draft stock❗️

It’s almost impossible to make it to the NFL after missing a full year of film, exposure, and competition‼️

🛑 What’s worse is that this violates the NCAA’s own rules:

🔹 Bylaw 12.8.1.6 – “Exceptions to the Five-Year Rule must be applied consistently to similarly situated student-athletes.”

That isn’t happening.

Some athletes are playing. Others aren’t.

There’s no consistency, no clarity, and no urgency—with fall camp starting August 1st and today being June 7th. That’s less than two months.

✅ We’re asking for one thing:

A blanket waiver for JUCO athletes whose five-year clocks started before they entered an NCAA institution.

That’s not unlimited eligibility.

That’s not special treatment.

That’s justice. That’s consistency. That’s what the NCAA claims to stand for.

But this goes deeper now, especially with the House v. NCAA settlement now approved:

The NCAA has acknowledged that student-athletes are part of a commercial system—essentially treating us as employees under collective compensation and NIL structures.

So if that’s the case, how is it legal to deny us access to our professional futures—by blocking us from Pro Days, eligibility, and NFL exposure?

This raises major antitrust concerns and employment law issues.

You can’t claim we’re part of the “marketplace” while also denying us a chance to compete in that marketplace.

That’s not just unethical—it may be illegal.

Charlie Baker—this is your moment.

And respectfully… it’s wild that I’ve posted about this multiple times, reaching hundreds of thousands of people—and yet, you’ve said nothing.

You’re still online retweeting other content while players are sleeping on couches and being denied futures.

Fix the waiver. Let us play‼️

#JUCOJustice #LetUsPlay #FixTheWaiver #NCAA

@NCAA_PR

@espn

Kibambe began his collegiate career at Garden City Community College in 2018, but redshirted his freshman year. The defensive back then joined Georgia Military College in 2019, where he played for three seasons.

Kibambe joined Appalachian State University in 2021 and spent three seasons with the program before joining Elon in 2024. During the 2024 season, Kibambe recorded five tackles at Elon.

---

NCAA sets $20.5 million cap for schools to spend on all sports in the 2025-26 athletic year

Texas Longhorns QB Arch Manning - Source: Imagn

According to reports, the NCAA has projected to pay players directly up to a salary cap of $20.5 million, beginning from July 1 for the 2025-26 athletic season.

Since 2021, the NCAA has allowed players to earn compensation from their name, image and likeness rights. However, schools that have been spending big amounts on recruitment will need to follow rules under an annual salary cap from next season.

However, the $20,5 million value is expected to increase annually in the next decade.