COLLEGE FOOTBALL REPORT : WEEKDAY UPDATE : AROUND THE NATION : Judge Refuses to Reinstate Brad Gaines

NASHVILLE, Tenn. —  A federal judge refused Thursday to order the NCAA to reinstate Brad Gaines, a former Vanderbilt football player who entered the NFL draft.

U.S. District Judge Thomas Wiseman declined to issue a preliminary injunction directing the NCAA to restore Gaines’ eligibility.

Gaines, a running back, was not drafted last spring after offering himself to the pros. He returned to class this month as a fifth-year senior and sought to play again on grounds the NCAA had an illegal monopoly on athletes and therefore its regulations were void.

Thursday’s four-hour hearing was only on the issue of an injunction. Gaines’ suit against the NCAA, the Southeastern Conference and Vanderbilt remains pending.