Cleveland County District Judge Thad Balkman granted the OU linebacker Heinecke a preliminary injunction against the NCAA that gives him another year of collegiate eligibility.

The emergency hearing for Heinecke’s case began at 8:30 a.m. Thursday at the Cleveland County courthouse in downtown Norman. Balkman issued his ruling that Heinecke is immediately eligible for the Sooners will forgo the 2026 NFL Draft next week to return to OU for the 2026 season.

Heinecke sued for injunctive relief after the NCAA denied his petition for another year in January, and after it also shot down a subsequent appeal in February.

The NCAA contended that Heinecke was out of eligibility in part because his five-year window for competition had expired. And it counted the 15 minutes of lacrosse he played as an Ohio State freshman in 2021 against his football eligibility.

Heinecke, a Tulsa native and Bishop Kelley grad, transferred from Ohio State to OU and walked on to the Sooners football team in 2022. He missed the entire season due to injury and redshirted. Ideally he would’ve submitted a request for a medical waiver, but he did not.

Heinecke took over as OU’s starting middle linebacker at midseason and finished second on the team in total tackles. His counsel argued that the NCAA bylaws still entitled him to four full seasons of football.