Carter Loflin ends legal fight for fifth Georgia golf season

Carter Loflin has given up his fight in court to gain a fifth season of college eligibility.

>His attorney, Nik Erramilli, filed to dismiss without prejudice his lawsuit against the NCAA on Monday Aug. 31.

>That came a day after Georgia golf was required to submit its roster for the season which began Monday in a tournament in Knoxville, Tenn.

>“I do think the law is on our side,” Erramilli told the Athens Banner-Herald. “This was just a timing issue.”

>Loflin, who reached the U.S. Amateur semifinals last month, was seeking to return to the Bulldogs for another season after the NCAA instituted an age-based eligibility model in June that allowed athletes to play five seasons in five years.

>Loflin and other 2022 high school graduates were not included. He finished his fourth season at Georgia this spring.

>Loflin was in an Athens courtroom on Friday as was NCAA attorney Doug Minor.

>Western Circuit Superior Court Judge H. Patrick Haggard had not issued a ruling before Erramilli filled the plaintiff’s notice of voluntary dismissal without prejudice on Monday.

>Haggard told the attorneys in court not to expect a ruling by this past Sunday. Erramilli filed an emergency motion for reconsideration Friday afternoon because of the need to get a temporary restraining order before the Sunday deadline.

>Erramilli called the case now “moot,” for Loflin since he can’t play for Georgia. He intends to remain in school at UGA to complete his degree.

>Other athletes that may try to get a fifth season should move quickly, Erramilli said.

>“This court will take it’s time and so to anybody that has a forthcoming deadline, I think it behooves them to move sooner rather than later and not assume you’re going to get a TRO,” he said.

>This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Carter Loflin ends legal fight for fifth Georgia golf season