Courthouses and judges decide college basketball player eligibility amid NCAA lawsuits

College basketball teams enter the season with uncertain rosters as court rulings allow athletes to play temporarily, creating a landscape where players may become ineligible mid-season depending on pending trial dates and appeals.

• •As of Thursday morning, the NCAA reported 200 lawsuits filed since June concerning the age-based eligibility model, involving approximately 850 plaintiffs across all sports.
• •More than half of the lawsuits (about 115) specifically target the new eligibility rules, while others involve professional team involvement and case-by-case complaints.
• •The total plaintiff count includes 362 men's and 62 women's basketball players.
• •Nearly half of the basketball player plaintiffs (171 men and 30 women) have received court relief allowing them to play while their cases remain pending.
• •The NCAA is appealing the favorable ruling received by Florida guard Denzel Aberdeen in September.
• •Ohio Governor Mike DeWine issued an executive order allowing a fifth season of eligibility for in-state players from the 2022 class, prompting an NCAA lawsuit against DeWine.
• •The U.S. Senate has passed the NCAA-backed Protect College Sports Act, though its prospects in the House remain uncertain.
• •A Louisiana judge granted a request to temporarily block the SEC from punishing St. John's transfer RJ Luis Jr. if added to LSU's roster.
• •St. John's forward Babacar Sane holds a temporary restraining order allowing him to compete through a Nov. 9 hearing.