Roddy Gayle Jr. granted TRO, hearing date set in NCAA eligibility case

Roddy Gayle Jr. has received a temporary restraining order from a New York judge in his lawsuit against the NCAA to seek a fifth year of eligibility. The order was issued by Judge Frank A. Sedita III on Wednesday, September 2nd, two days after Gayle filed the lawsuit in Niagara County Supreme Court. The TRO allows Gayle, a 6-foot-5 guard who played for Michigan in the past two seasons, to practice with the Wolverines ahead of the preliminary injunction hearing on September 17th at 2 p.m. The suit, filed on August 31st, argues that the NCAA's new age-based eligibility model bars Gayle and other high school graduates from the fifth year of eligibility.

Michigan offered Gayle a roster spot for this season, but the opportunity is contingent on his NCAA eligibility. Gayle has been practicing with the team while his eligibility remains uncertain, including during the Wolverines' recent foreign exhibition tour to Lithuania and Croatia. The ruling halts the NCAA's implementation of a five-for-five rule, which restricts players from playing five seasons within a five-year window.

If approved on September 17th, Gayle would regain his eligibility, but the NCAA plans to contest the case.