Oklahoma's Mike Balogun Files Suit Against NCAA, Will Continue Practicing

The lawsuit Oklahoma senior linebacker Mike Balogun filed against the NCAA Tuesday with a Cleveland County (Okla.) Court District is apparently working -- for now.

Balogun sought and received a restraining order blocking the NCAA's mandate he not continue practicing with the Sooners after Wednesday, while the governing body investigates his college eligibility. Balogun will be allowed to continue practicing with his Oklahoma teammates for the next few days.

Balogun, who is seeking $10,000 in damages from the NCAA in the civil suit according to published reports, has a hearing set with District Judge Tom A. Lucas Monday afternoon. It's likely he will be allowed to continue practicing with the Sooners at least until then.

"Our role is to wait and see how this works out and not to react," OU Sports Information Director Kenny Mossman told FanHouse Wednesday afternoon. "We are really taking on the role of a spectator here."

The Oklahoma Sooners program, however, has been in the spotlight since news broke last week that Balogun's eligibility in his final season could be in jeopardy because of questions about a semi-pro football league he participated in in Maryland prior to going to junior college and arriving on Oklahoma's campus a year ago.

Balogun, who played some last season, is competing for a backup playing time at middle linebacker behind Ryan Reynolds. Reynolds missed the final eight games of last season after suffering a serious knee injury. But Balogun's collegiate playing days could be over.

"I play the guys that they allow me to play," OU coach Bob Stoops told Oklahoma reporters following practice Tuesday night. "The people that are involved in all that will handle it. They let me know whether a guy is capable of playing or not. That's what I get involved in."

NCAA guidelines say a player must forfeit a year of eligibility for every year he participates in semi-pro sports after turning 21. Balogun, who did not play his final two years of high school ball in Upper Marlboro, Md., worked construction and played for two semi-pro football teams after high school.

Balogun, 25, then enrolled at Lackawanna College in Pennsylvania in 2006 for two years before moving onto Oklahoma in 2008. The NCAA initially interviewed Balogun in May 2008 and then certified him to finish out his eligibility with Oklahoma, according to a school release.

But Oklahoma says it came across some additional information about Balogun's semi-pro career after last season. The NCAA has since decertified Balogun. A report out of Oklahoma on Wednesday night said Oklahoma officials might have had some additional questions about Balogun's semi-pro career after listening to the broadcast of last Janurary's BCS national title game when Balogun made just the second start of his career.

The announcers seemed to indicate during the broadcast that Balogun, who will turn 26 next month, worked construction and played semi-pro ball three years ago. That would have made him 22 at the time, which is clear violation of NCAA guidelines.