Miami tight end Alex Bauman is filing for a temporary restraining order against the NCAA and plans to enter the transfer portal.
Bauman is asking a Florida court to let him pursue another season of college football under an age-based eligibility theory. The "five-for-five" model would start an athlete's eligibility clock at initial full-time college enrollment or at the beginning of the academic year after the player's 19th birthday, whichever comes first. Bauman spent three seasons at Tulane and one at Miami.
NEW: Former Miami TE Alex Bauman is filing a TRO for a fifth season of eligibility and to enter the NCAA transfer portal, his agent @johnnytownsend1 tells @Hayesfawcett3.https://t.co/XbzL9QvV8X pic.twitter.com/oOBUFxkP2I
— Transfer Portal (@TransferPortal) September 2, 2026
Miami tight end Alex Bauman filing TRO for 5th year
The filing comes as the Hurricanes prepare to open the 2026 season Friday night at Stanford.
Bauman, a New Jersey native, caught 18 passes for 166 yards and one touchdown for Miami last season. Over four college seasons at Tulane and Miami, he has 81 receptions for 776 yards and 14 touchdowns.
At Tulane from 2022-24 he had 63 catches for 610 yards and 13 scores, including seven touchdowns as a junior in 2024. As a freshman he caught the 6-yard touchdown with nine seconds left that beat USC 46-45 in the 2023 Cotton Bowl.
He was a three-star recruit out of Red Bank Catholic High School in the 2022 class and originally signed with Tulane over offers that included Notre Dame, Rutgers and Wake Forest.
Bauman's case is the latest legal challenge regarding NCAA eligibility
Separate cases around the country have targeted eligibility clocks and limits on athletes who previously signed professional contracts.
A restraining order would be a short-term court order and Bauman would still need a school willing to add him, as well as an eligibility ruling that survives further NCAA or conference review.
Miami returns Elija Lofton and other tight ends from last year's playoff roster. But beyond that, the Hurricanes TE room is young after Luka Gilbert suffered a season-ending injury.
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