NEW YORK, May 25 (UPI) -- A federal appeals court in New York has ruled national labor law permits the NFL to set minimum eligibility rules for when players can enter the league.
The three-judge panel unanimously ruled the league may bar former Ohio State running back Maurice Clarett because three seasons have not passed since his high school graduation -- the league's minimum requirement for entering players, USA Today reported Tuesday.
Clarett, 20, had sued the NFL to be allowed to enter the 2004 draft. In February he won in the district court, but the appeals court suspended that decision five days before the draft.
Lawyers for Clarett may appeal Monday's decision. Even if he wins, though, court schedules make it unlikely he will be able to enter a supplemental draft before the preseason.
Under league rules, Clarett will be eligible for the 2005 draft.
