Zeigler drops bid for fifth year, match to continue

KNOXVILLE, Tenn.– Zakai Zeigler of Tennessee has dropped his quote for a federal judge to let him play a fifth season of Division I basketball in 5 years, however his lawsuit against the NCAA will continue, his lawyers stated Tuesday.Last month, a judge denied Zeigler’s ask for an initial injunction that would allow him to return to the Volunteers. He appealed that ruling, however his lawyers voluntarily withdrew the appeal on Tuesday.

“While we had hoped to see Zakai back in orange and white, he’s welcoming the next chapter of his basketball career with optimism and resolve,” the law practice Litson PLLC said in a declaration. “We remain dedicated to pushing his case forward in the high court, where the core legal issues remain quite alive.”

The 5-foot-9 Zeigler was not chosen in last week’s NBA draft, however will play in the summertime league with the Detroit Pistons, a source told ESPN’s Jonathan Givony on June 26.

Zeigler is among a number of professional athletes suing the NCAA over its eligibility rules, arguing the ban on playing more than 4 seasons in a five-year window is a monopolistic practice that deprives athletes of the chance to make name, image and similarity compensation. He argued in his suit that he could earn in between $2 million and as much as $4 million if he played another season at Tennessee.The Associated

Press contributed to this report.