Huge win for Michigan basketball: National champ Roddy Gayle Jr. temporarily cleared to play for Wolverines

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – A New York judge has temporarily cleared Michigan Wolverines national championship-winning basketball player Roddy Gayle Jr. to practice and compete during the 2026-27 season while he challenges an NCAA eligibility ruling.

Niagara County Supreme Court Justice Frank A. Sedita III issued a temporary restraining order Wednesday (Sept. 2) that prevents the NCAA from declaring Gayle ineligible under its five-year eligibility rule.

The order also prevents the NCAA from interfering with Michigan’s decision to allow Gayle to practice, train and compete with the men’s basketball team during the 2026-27 academic year.

The ruling comes as college basketball teams begin preseason preparations and finalize rosters.

Gayle, a former Ohio State player who transferred to Michigan, filed the lawsuit Aug. 31 against the NCAA and NCAA President Charlie Baker.

His lawsuit challenges the NCAA’s application of its eligibility rules to players from the 2022 recruiting cohort.

→ Michigan basketball national champion Roddy Gayle Jr. sues NCAA over eligibility for fifth season

The court order says Gayle faces immediate and irreparable harm because the 2026-27 men’s basketball season is approaching.

It notes that a season of competition, once lost, cannot be restored.

The judge’s order prohibits the NCAA from enforcing its five-year eligibility rule or excluding Gayle’s cohort from a revised eligibility model in a way that would prevent him from competing this season.

The NCAA is also prohibited from telling member schools or conferences that Gayle is ineligible or that allowing him to play could expose the school, coaches, or athletics personnel to NCAA sanctions.

The order further prevents the NCAA from restricting Gayle’s use of the transfer portal or enforcing a transfer portal deadline that closed before the NCAA adopted its revised eligibility model in June.

The judge also barred the NCAA from penalizing Gayle or a school that allows him to play under the court’s order, including under provisions commonly known as the “ghost transfer rule” and the Rule of Restitution.

The order also protects Gayle’s Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) agreements, endorsement contracts, and earning opportunities from adverse action based on his eligibility status.

The temporary restraining order remains in place pending a hearing on Gayle’s request for a preliminary injunction.

Gayle’s case is connected to a broader dispute over NCAA eligibility rules and the treatment of players whose college careers were affected by changes to those rules.

The order references a federal injunction that had briefly protected Gayle’s cohort before being stayed Aug. 21.

Gayle is seeking a preliminary injunction that would remain in effect through the 2026-27 academic year, or until the court rules on the merits of his lawsuit.

The court set the required undertaking at $100.

The order does not require Michigan to play Gayle, but it prohibits the NCAA from interfering with the university’s decision to allow him to participate.

The latest ruling gives Gayle a temporary path to remain with the Wolverines as the team prepares for the upcoming season while the underlying eligibility dispute continues in court.

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