Football players file emergency injunction to reverse high school playoff ban

Is it possible that a Florida high school football could enter the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) state playoffs without competing in a single district game in a couple weeks? Football players of The First Academy are prepared to challenge that, according to a report by USA Today’s Jon Santucci on Tuesday afternoon.

Per Santucci’s report, attorney Paul Aloise Jr., one of two lawyers that is representing a group of Royals players, is filing for an emergency temporary injunction today in an attempt to reverse the program’s two-year playoff ban that was imposed on The First Academy by the FHSAA.

The FHSAA denied The First Academy‘s appeal to be reinstated for the 2025 football playoffs back in June, leaving the Royals having to play this season without the opportunity to qualify for the state postseason that’s set begin on Nov. 14 with region quarterfinal games.

“The No. 1 goal of the players and the parents is to play in the 2025 playoffs, unequivocally,” John Ramsier, a father of a The First Academy player, said per Santucci’s report. “We felt like we had to come up with some legal representation that specialized in sports law and NIL in order to present this request to the Florida High School Athletic Association.”

The First Academy was banned for the 2024 and 2025 playoffs last fall when the FHSAA placed the program on ‘restrictive probation’ for a series of alleged rules violations.

Among the alleged violations was at least 10 players who participated in TFA activities during the summer before they were enrolled. In addition to also being suspended from the FHSAA postseason, the Royals were forced to forfeit all nine of its wins from the 2024 season and was ordered to pay a $36,000 fine. The First Academy’s head coach Jeff Conaway was also suspended for the entire 2025 campaign for the alleged rule violations. Per the sanctions, Conaway was forced to give up $5,000 of his salary as well.

This 2025 season, the Royals have played a national high school football schedule, which has included some of the top programs around the country, including Hun School (N.J.), Milton (Ga.), Phenix City
Central (Ala.), The St. James Academy (Va.) and St. Frances Academy (Md.). The First Academy, ranked as Florida’s No. 26 in the latest Massey Ratings, is currently sitting at 4-5 heading into this Friday’s game at Bryant Stadium against No. 11 ranked Lakeland.

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