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Oakland University star basketball player Brody Robinson, one of the top point guards at the mid-major level after finishing 11th nationally in assists this past season, now is asking for an assist from the courts.
Robinson's lawyers filed a lawsuit against the NCAA in Oakland County Circuit Court last week, seeking an emergency temporary restraining order and a preliminary injunction that would allow him to play one additional season, his fifth overall, of college basketball.
Robinson's lawyers, in the court filing, argue that Robinson is a victim of inconsistent eligibility rulings, and that an extra year of eligibility could be worth $500,000 or more in NIL compensation, either at Oakland or another Division I school.
If declared eligible for a fifth season, and fourth at the Division I Level, Robinson certainly would be a sought-after target on the transfer market. The transfer portal window opens April 7.
Robinson, 22, has played four seasons of college basketball, including one at the junior-college (JUCO) level, and three at Division I, capped by the 2025-26 season at Oakland, with whom he averaged 17.6 points and 6.7 assists. The NCAA currently allows athletes to complete four seasons of playing in a five-year window, but Robinson's attorneys are arguing his single season of JUCO ball shouldn't count, and cites a number of recent court decisions as precedent.
The prominent case cited by Robinson's attorneys, including David Russell of Lansing-based Foster, Smith, Collins & Smith, was the suit brought by Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia against the NCAA before the 2025 season. Pavia had played five seasons, two at the JUCO level, though one was in the COVID waiver window.
Pavia was granted eligibility through a court order to play in 2025, a sixth season, fourth at the Football Bowl Subdivision level. He went on to be a Heisman Trophy finalist in 2025.
When Pavia was granted his preliminary injunction, the NCAA granted a blanket waiver for all FBS (and Division I, in basketball) athletes that stated past JUCO seasons wouldn't count toward a player's eligibility for the 2025-26 season. That was how Michael Houge, a forward from Detroit, was able to play a sixth season when he transferred to Oakland before the 2025-26 season. But that blanket waiver only covered 2025-26, and was rescinded by the NCAA for future seasons. Robinson's lawyers are arguing it's unfair he's not able to use that same waiver to play the 2026-27 season.
Robinson, according to the lawsuit, requested that Oakland submit a waiver request to the NCAA on his behalf for a fifth season (and fourth at the Division I level), but Oakland officials declined to do so. Oakland athletic director Steve Waterfield told Russell in an email dated March 20 that the school couldn't in "good faith" submit the request, based on the NCAA's rules. Not able to submit a waiver request on his own, Robinson is taking to the courts for quick relief.
Robinson's attorneys declined to comment on the case, which was filed Friday in 6th Circuit Court. The lawsuit claims a violation of the Michigan Antitrust Reform Act, and it's the latest in a string of lawsuits challenging NCAA eligibility guidelines — which have been complicated and inconsistent in recent years because of many factors, including the COVID pandemic, transfer portal, NIL and discrepancies in rulings that have played out in courts all over the country.
Oakland head coach Greg Kampe declined to comment, noting that Oakland is not a party in the lawsuit. Waterfield also declined comment. The NCAA didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from The News on Monday.
Robinson, a Houston native, began his college career at Chattanooga, a Division I school, in 2022-23, and played in 33 games with two starts, averaging 4.1 points. His lawyers note in the lawsuit that while Robinson's career started outside of the COVID waiver window, he was competing for minutes against players who were in the COVID window, limiting playing opportunities. For 2023-24, he transferred to the JUCO level, to Garden City Community College in Kansas, where he averaged 20.4 points in 32 games, earning first-team All-American honors.
That led to significant recruitment from the Division I level, and he transferred to UT-Arlington, with whom he played in 31 games (29 starts), and averaged 9.5 points. He planned to return for another season, but many teammates entered the portal, so with the team's talent uncertain for 2025-26, he transferred to Oakland.
With Oakland, Robinson started all 32 games and became only the third Oakland player in the Division I era to finish a season with 500-plus points and 200-plus assists. He was first-team all-Horizon League for the Golden Grizzlies, who finished the season 16-16, including 12-8 in league play.
Robinson's lawsuit said he earned "significant" NIL compensation at UT-Arlington and Oakland, but declined to provide specific figures, citing confidentiality agreements.
One of the case precedents cited by Robinson's attorneys involved safety Louis Moore, who spent three years at the JUCO level (albeit, during COVID and playing sparingly), and sued for a fourth year of FBS eligibility in 2025. A court sided with Moore, who cited the Pavia ruling, and he played for an Indiana team that won the national championship.
Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, a Grand Rapids native who led Ferris State to a Division II national championship in 2024 before transferring to the FBS level, where he made the College Football Playoff in 2025, has won relief in court against the NCAA and also won an appeal, positioning him to play (and earn millions) in 2026. Locally, Eastern Michigan quarterback Noah Kim, who began his college career at Michigan State, was granted a seventh year of eligibility by the NCAA, and will suit up again for the Eagles in 2026.
Robinson is seeking a quick ruling, with the spring transfer portal set to be open from April 7-21.
[email protected]
@tonypaul1984
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Oakland University basketball player sues NCAA over eligibility
Continue reading...
Robinson's lawyers filed a lawsuit against the NCAA in Oakland County Circuit Court last week, seeking an emergency temporary restraining order and a preliminary injunction that would allow him to play one additional season, his fifth overall, of college basketball.
Robinson's lawyers, in the court filing, argue that Robinson is a victim of inconsistent eligibility rulings, and that an extra year of eligibility could be worth $500,000 or more in NIL compensation, either at Oakland or another Division I school.
If declared eligible for a fifth season, and fourth at the Division I Level, Robinson certainly would be a sought-after target on the transfer market. The transfer portal window opens April 7.
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Robinson, 22, has played four seasons of college basketball, including one at the junior-college (JUCO) level, and three at Division I, capped by the 2025-26 season at Oakland, with whom he averaged 17.6 points and 6.7 assists. The NCAA currently allows athletes to complete four seasons of playing in a five-year window, but Robinson's attorneys are arguing his single season of JUCO ball shouldn't count, and cites a number of recent court decisions as precedent.
The prominent case cited by Robinson's attorneys, including David Russell of Lansing-based Foster, Smith, Collins & Smith, was the suit brought by Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia against the NCAA before the 2025 season. Pavia had played five seasons, two at the JUCO level, though one was in the COVID waiver window.
Pavia was granted eligibility through a court order to play in 2025, a sixth season, fourth at the Football Bowl Subdivision level. He went on to be a Heisman Trophy finalist in 2025.
When Pavia was granted his preliminary injunction, the NCAA granted a blanket waiver for all FBS (and Division I, in basketball) athletes that stated past JUCO seasons wouldn't count toward a player's eligibility for the 2025-26 season. That was how Michael Houge, a forward from Detroit, was able to play a sixth season when he transferred to Oakland before the 2025-26 season. But that blanket waiver only covered 2025-26, and was rescinded by the NCAA for future seasons. Robinson's lawyers are arguing it's unfair he's not able to use that same waiver to play the 2026-27 season.
Robinson, according to the lawsuit, requested that Oakland submit a waiver request to the NCAA on his behalf for a fifth season (and fourth at the Division I level), but Oakland officials declined to do so. Oakland athletic director Steve Waterfield told Russell in an email dated March 20 that the school couldn't in "good faith" submit the request, based on the NCAA's rules. Not able to submit a waiver request on his own, Robinson is taking to the courts for quick relief.
Robinson's attorneys declined to comment on the case, which was filed Friday in 6th Circuit Court. The lawsuit claims a violation of the Michigan Antitrust Reform Act, and it's the latest in a string of lawsuits challenging NCAA eligibility guidelines — which have been complicated and inconsistent in recent years because of many factors, including the COVID pandemic, transfer portal, NIL and discrepancies in rulings that have played out in courts all over the country.
Oakland head coach Greg Kampe declined to comment, noting that Oakland is not a party in the lawsuit. Waterfield also declined comment. The NCAA didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from The News on Monday.
Robinson, a Houston native, began his college career at Chattanooga, a Division I school, in 2022-23, and played in 33 games with two starts, averaging 4.1 points. His lawyers note in the lawsuit that while Robinson's career started outside of the COVID waiver window, he was competing for minutes against players who were in the COVID window, limiting playing opportunities. For 2023-24, he transferred to the JUCO level, to Garden City Community College in Kansas, where he averaged 20.4 points in 32 games, earning first-team All-American honors.
You must be registered for see images attach
That led to significant recruitment from the Division I level, and he transferred to UT-Arlington, with whom he played in 31 games (29 starts), and averaged 9.5 points. He planned to return for another season, but many teammates entered the portal, so with the team's talent uncertain for 2025-26, he transferred to Oakland.
With Oakland, Robinson started all 32 games and became only the third Oakland player in the Division I era to finish a season with 500-plus points and 200-plus assists. He was first-team all-Horizon League for the Golden Grizzlies, who finished the season 16-16, including 12-8 in league play.
Robinson's lawsuit said he earned "significant" NIL compensation at UT-Arlington and Oakland, but declined to provide specific figures, citing confidentiality agreements.
One of the case precedents cited by Robinson's attorneys involved safety Louis Moore, who spent three years at the JUCO level (albeit, during COVID and playing sparingly), and sued for a fourth year of FBS eligibility in 2025. A court sided with Moore, who cited the Pavia ruling, and he played for an Indiana team that won the national championship.
Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, a Grand Rapids native who led Ferris State to a Division II national championship in 2024 before transferring to the FBS level, where he made the College Football Playoff in 2025, has won relief in court against the NCAA and also won an appeal, positioning him to play (and earn millions) in 2026. Locally, Eastern Michigan quarterback Noah Kim, who began his college career at Michigan State, was granted a seventh year of eligibility by the NCAA, and will suit up again for the Eagles in 2026.
Robinson is seeking a quick ruling, with the spring transfer portal set to be open from April 7-21.
[email protected]
@tonypaul1984
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Oakland University basketball player sues NCAA over eligibility
Continue reading...
