Two members of the football program at the University of Rhode Island have filed a complaint for declarative and injunctive relief in Washington County Superior Court.
AJ Peña and Justin Carcel are seeking a fifth year of eligibility with the Rams in this 2026 season. The NCAA has been named as the defendant.
Peña and Carcel have missed the first two games for URI, including a loss at Temple last week. The edge rusher and defensive back were both part of a second straight Coastal Athletic Association champion and NCAA playoff participant in 2025. The complaint alleges the NCAA is violating the Rhode Island Antitrust Act and seeks either a temporary restraining order or a preliminary injunction.
“This action concerns the application of a narrow transition rule adopted by the NCAA in connection with its new Division I age-based eligibility model,” the complaint states in part. “The NCAA has determined that, beginning with the 2026-27 academic year, five years of collegiate athletic participation is consistent with Division I athletics. At the same time, however, the NCAA has excluded a discrete cohort of otherwise qualified current student-athletes from receiving the benefit of that new model solely because those athletes had played four years and the NCAA viewed this as having used all eligible years for competition.”
Peña is a two-time All-American and the program’s all-time leader in both sacks and tackles for loss. He enrolled with the Rams in 2022 and has been in Kingston, excluding a few weeks as a Memphis transfer in spring 2025, for the last four years. Peña was in rookie minicamp with the Baltimore Ravens last offseason before opting to make an attempt to return to URI.
Carcel spent his first three years at Keiser University in Florida before a transfer to URI in 2025. He played in 13 games during an 11-3 campaign for URI, finishing with 39 tackles, three pass breakups and two interceptions. Carcel would offer the Rams some significant veteran depth at the back end of their defense.
“We’re very confident they’ve got good representation and can make a good argument,” URI coach Jim Fleming said during a conference call on Monday. “Hopefully we get a favorable outcome. I would love to see that.
“I feel really strongly – put all the politics aside – these are kids who love to play football. I think that’s what it’s really about. The passion to prepare for this game and play this game – if everybody else is getting five years, why wouldn’t you go ahead and get a fifth year?
“Forget about the NFL. Forget about pay and all that stuff. It’s really about opportunity to play the game for one more year, and that’s of value in and of itself. It’s something that’s very important to AJ and Justin.”
Peña and Carcel are being represented by Smithfield firm Harwood, Garland and McKiernan. John Harwood, the former Rhode Island House speaker, and Dan McKiernan are named as attorneys for the plaintiffs. Harwood’s biography on the firm’s website notes his past experience with NHL and AHL hockey players as clients.
The complaint from Peña and Carcel comes shortly after former Bishop Hendricken standout and Villanova offensive lineman Jake Picard was denied in his attempt to earn a temporary restraining order in Providence County Superior Court. The NCAA denied a medical hardship waiver request from Picard, who first enrolled with the Wildcats for the 2020-21 academic year. Judge Brian K. Stern issued his ruling last Wednesday.
URI is scheduled to play Elon in its next game Saturday at noon at Centreville Bank Stadium in Pawtucket. It will be the opener for the Rams at their temporary home in Pawtucket while Meade Stadium undergoes an extensive renovation.
On X: @BillKoch25
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Two URI football players challenge NCAA for fifth year of eligibility
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