Ohio governor signs order letting state's colleges allow 2022 athletes a 5th year of eligibility

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signed an executive order Tuesday giving the state's colleges and universities the option of allowing athletes who graduated from high school in 2022 to play a fifth year in defiance of the NCAA's new eligibility rule.“When the rules change, fairness has to remain part of the equation,” DeWine said in a statement. “We want Ohio’s student-athletes to have the same opportunity as student-athletes in other states.”Under the order, public and private universities in Ohio can allow athletes to play even though the NCAA's new guidance excludes those who have already played four seasons.There was no immediate response from the NCAA or any of the eight Division I programs in Ohio, which includes No. 4 Ohio State of the Big Ten, Cincinnati of the Big 12 and six schools in the Mid-American Conference.“It’s important we do not deprive our current student-athletes of the same opportunities enjoyed by their peers," said Lt. Gov. Jim Tressel, a former coach who won national cha