Georgia baseball player seeking additional eligibility, sues NCAA

Georgia baseball player Dylan Goldstein filed a lawsuit Tuesday against the NCAA, seeking an additional year of eligibility and arguing his year at junior college should not count toward his eligibility. Goldstein is seeking a preliminary injunction and a hearing so he can return to playing for Georgia this weekend.

Filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Georgia, the 40-page complaint argues the NCAA has, “breached its obligations to the third-party beneficiaries by seeking to enforce unlawful, anticompetitive Bylaws which interfere with the rights of athletes and Division I institutions in the labor market.”

It’s just the latest lawsuit to stem from Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia’s courtroom win against the NCAA, where he argued that because the governing body counts junior college seasons towards NCAA eligibility and athletes cannot redshirt after they have played four years, NCAA rules violate antitrust law.

A former Florida Atlantic transfer, Goldstein is a graduate student who appeared in 52 games with 41 starts in 2024 at Georgia. He batted .273 with 11 doubles, one triple, 12 home runs and 43 RBI. The outfielder and designated hitter spent the 2020-21 season at Chipola College before his two seasons at FAU. Goldstein was a Second Team All-Conference USA player at FAU.

Georgia has already played four games this season and is scheduled to play Kennesaw State on Tuesday. Goldstein filed for a waiver after Pavia was granted a preliminary injunction, but the NCAA rejected the request.

“Dylan has requested NCAA approval to play baseball for UGA,” the lawsuit states. “Dylan and multiple representatives, on his behalf, have contacted the NCAA. The NCAA will not take or return calls or other communications. The NCAA has intentionally failed and refused to approve or disapprove the request. They lacked the courage, character, professionalism, or even common courtesy to respond.”