Roddy Gayle Jr. gets temporary win in NCAA eligibility lawsuit

Roddy Gayle Jr., a former Ohio State Buckeye and Michigan Wolverines basketball player, was granted a temporary restraining order (TRO) on September 2, 2026, by the NCAA, allowing him to practice and compete with the Wolverines until his eligibility hearing on September 17, 2026. The lawsuit stems from his eligibility status as he had played for four years at both Ohio State and Michigan, exceeding the previous NCAA eligibility limit of four seasons for players transferring from one school to another.

Gayle had hoped to return to Michigan for another year after signing with the Detroit Pistons as an undrafted free agent. However, the NCAA had barred him from returning to school despite him not having participated in any professional games. In his lawsuit, Gayle argued that he is not currently in the NCAA Transfer Portal, the entry window for which had already closed in April 2026, and he did not leave college for professional basketball.

He completed four seasons, graduated, and was not paid a salary for any professional basketball games.

The TRO allows Gayle to practice with the team and participate in the foreign exhibition tour to Lithuania in August 2026. He is enrolled at the University of Michigan for the Fall 2026 term and has been practicing with the team since. Gayle maintains that he is not asking for the NCAA to put him on their roster or to pay him any damages. Instead, he seeks a restraining order that would allow him to compete for a spot on the team based on the same terms as other players.