The NCAA is many things, but quick isn’t one of them.
That flaw may end up leading to even more lawsuits filed against the institution that’s ruled over college sports for more than a century.
No. 6 Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss is still awaiting a decision on his waiver for an extra year of eligibility.
“No, I have not,” Chambliss said Sunday when the waiver status was the first question asked at his press conference. “I think they’re closed over the holiday right now.”
For those who may be anxiously waiting to hear what the NCAA does on pending eligibility cases before the transfer portal opens on 1/2/26, don’t hold your breath. The NCAA is CLOSED for its extended holiday break until the day the portal opens. 🤦🏻♂️
— Tom Mars (@TomMarsLaw) December 29, 2025
That’s a problem for Chambliss because his entire future rests on the decision reached by the NCAA Committee on Student-Athlete Reinstatement.
If the waiver is denied, then his collegiate career will end when the Rebels’ time in the College Football Playoff ends. That could be as soon as Thursday night when Ole Miss faces No. 3 Georgia in a CFP quarterfinal game at the Sugar Bowl.
Chambliss will likely start preparing the NFL Draft in that case.
But if the waiver is granted, Chambliss will have a lot more options. He could sign a new deal to stay at Ole Miss for another season or enter the transfer portal.
Look at those last two paragraphs and think about the difference in pay Chambliss would get in each in case. NFL rookies usually end up taking pay cuts when leaving college and that’s only slightly joking.
It’s a decision whose consequences will be in the millions of dollars. But Chambliss is left in limbo, as is Ole Miss who may or may not need to recruit a quarterback in the transfer portal.
That’s why it was a smart decision for Chambliss retain an attorney to help because this case may be headed to the courts.
Irreparable Harm
ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported last week Chambliss hired Tom Mars as his attorney on December 17 and five days later Mars sent a seven-page letter to the NCAA reinstatement committee.
“This matter is not just time sensitive,” Mars wrote. The letter asserts that Chambliss would “suffer irreparable harm” if he’s not granted the waiver.
If a decision isn’t made until after the transfer portal opens, other teams could choose to look at different quarterback options. And if the waiver is granted, there might not be as many chairs for Chambliss to sit in.
That would harm his market value because it wouldn’t be as large of a bidding war for his services. Would Ole Miss have to offer him as much if schools like LSU and Florida have their next quarterbacks? No.
It’s one of the biggest decisions that’ll impact the offseason. Hopefully, the NCAA is back from its holiday break and can get a decision made before the transfer portal opens on Friday.
But hoping for the NCAA to do something is like hoping a rock moves on its own.
