The NCAA made the biggest change to its eligibility rules in recent memory last month when it officially enacted the long-rumored "five years to play five seasons" policy. 

The association hopes the new rule will ultimately resolve many of the eligibility issues that have recently arisen in college sports, particularly regarding lawsuits from players seeking additional eligibility for time spent in junior college or international competition. However, the legal headache surrounding eligibility isn't quite over. 

Eleven NCAA athletes who believe the new eligibility rules treat them unfairly have filed a federal class action lawsuit against the organization, according to ESPN's Myron Metcalf. This comes just days after a judge in Ohio gave injunctive relief to 24 men's and women's basketball players, allowing them to enter the transfer portal and continue their college careers despite NCAA rules. 

What are the NCAA's new eligibility rules? 

Under the new eligibility system, the redshirt rule will be eliminated. Instead, all athletes will have a five-year clock to play five seasons, which begins either when the player enrolls as a full-time student (at any level) or the semester after they turn 19, whichever comes first. 

Why are athletes suing the NCAA for a 5th year? 

Before the NCAA officially passed the new rule, many expected that athletes who had just completed their fourth and final seasons of eligibility would be grandfathered in under the new rules. However, the NCAA decided not to award retroactive eligibility, leaving hundreds of players across the country in limbo. 

Which athletes have joined the class action lawsuit against the NCAA? 

According to Yahoo Sports' Ross Dellenger, the group of 11 players includes men's and women's basketball, baseball and track and field athletes. Perhaps the biggest name in the group is Minnesota guard Cade Tyson, who averaged 19.6 points per game and shot 42.2% from three-point range last season. 

What do these lawsuits mean for the NCAA's new eligibility rules? 

These lawsuits are likely the first of many, as several notable players are currently impacted by the eligibility decision, including major transfer portal additions, such as Florida's Denzel Aberdeen. In the wake of the injunction in Ohio, the NCAA has doubled down on keeping the rule in place as it currently exists. 

With many players' futures in college athletics hanging in the balance, the legal battles that will unfold over the coming months will be a real test of whether these eligibility rules can survive litigation.