Owen Heinecke wins NCAA eligibility hearing to return to OU football

NORMAN — Oklahoma football linebacker Owen Heinecke was granted a preliminary injunction for another year of eligibility Thursday in Cleveland County District Court.

Heinecke, 23, is a former walk-on who broke out for the Sooners during their run to the College Football Playoff last season and sought another year of eligibility after the NCAA denied his initial petition and appeal. Heinecke was asking to play a fourth season of college football to “compete in the precise number of college football seasons allowed by the NCAA.”

Heinecke filed for a preliminary injunction on March 23. The Tulsa native participated in the NFL Scouting Combine and OU’s Pro Day, where he said he was "full steam ahead" to the NFL. But it was expected that Heinecke would take legal action following Nagy’s comments earlier in March when he said the process was still being worked out.

Now, after Thursday’s ruling Heinecke will play another season with the Sooners.

Heinecke was ruled to be out of eligibility due to the NCAA counting three games — 15 minutes — of lacrosse at Ohio State against him from his freshman year in 2021. Heinecke argues he was unable to play football that season due to the NCAA canceling official recruiting visits due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a hip aversion and the Buckeyes not holding walk-on tryouts.

More: Owen Heinecke eligibility hearing: What to know as OU football LB takes on NCAA in court

Likely a key component of Balkman’s decision was a “notice of supplemental authority” submitted by Heinecke’s legal counsel led by Mary Quinn Cooper of McAfee & Taft earlier this week. They received a copy of an Oct. 20, 2025 waiver decision involving another student-athlete who sought an eligibility waiver after the NCAA previously said Heinecke did not provide "evidence of how similarly situated student-athletes’ waiver requests have been adjudicated."