NCAA Faces 200 Eligibility Lawsuits as College Basketball Season Opens

College basketball tips off amid a wave of eligibility lawsuits filed against the NCAA.

Florida coach Todd Golden said guard Denzel Aberdeen will be available for the top-ranked Gators' season opener against No. 14 Miami on Monday night, following a favorable court ruling in September. The NCAA has appealed that decision. "He has a great legal team that put an incredible argument forward," Golden said during Southeastern Conference media days.

The NCAA said that as of Thursday morning, 200 lawsuits have been filed since the age-based eligibility model was approved in June, involving approximately 850 plaintiffs across all sports. About 115 of those suits concern the new eligibility rules; the rest involve questions over professional team involvement and other complaints. Among the plaintiffs are 362 men's and 62 women's basketball players. Courts have granted some form of relief to 171 men and 30 women, while the remainder are currently ineligible.

Several cases remain unresolved as the season begins. St. John's transfer RJ Luis Jr. received a temporary block Wednesday from a Louisiana judge preventing the Southeastern Conference from punishing him if he joins LSU's roster. St. John's forward Babacar Sane has a temporary restraining order from a New York court that allows him to compete only through a Nov. 9 hearing, which covers two games. N.C. State's Ven-Allen Lubin and Texas Tech's Darrion Williams are plaintiffs in a Texas case set for trial Dec. 14, six weeks into the season.

The litigation stems from the NCAA's five-year eligibility model, which takes full effect next fall and starts an athlete's clock at age 19 or high school graduation, whichever comes first. Players from the high school class of 2022 have filed suits seeking a fifth year after completing four seasons. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine issued an executive order granting a fifth season to players in his state, a move that led the NCAA to sue him. The Protect College Sports Act, which includes a five-year eligibility provision, has passed the U.S. Senate but faces an uncertain path in the House.

Coaches are left tracking court rulings as rosters change. Louisville women's coach Jeff Walz added forward Amiya Joyner after a favorable ruling in a Louisiana case, saying he relies on updates about her status. Minnesota men's coach Niko Medved has had leading scorer Cade Tyson practice while awaiting a court-granted fifth year. "You don't know if guys who will be playing in November will be playing in December," Medved said. Kansas coach Bill Self said eligibility should be uniform across states: "I don't see how the way somebody was represented in a judge's view in Colorado has anything to do with Ohio."