Robbie Avila will not be playing in Saint Louis’ season opener against Missouri on Friday. This absolutely wild news drops just a day after a St. Louis City Circuit Court judge explicitly granted him an injunction for a fifth season of eligibility. Talk about a gut punch for the Billikens, right when they were expecting their star back on the court.
Court Order Overruled: The CSC Throws Down The Gauntlet
So, what happened? The College Sports Commission, which just formed in 2025 to run the show on revenue sharing and NIL money from that landmark House settlement, released a statement today saying they’ve denied Saint Louis’ request to add Avila as a 16th player. Their reason? A hard 15-player limit for men’s basketball teams. Frank Cusumano from KSDK confirmed it, Avila is out for the Missouri game. This is despite Judge Jason Sengheiser saying Saint Louis *could* have a 16th roster spot for Avila, an order that was supposed to hold up until a trial, probably months away. But the CSC is basically saying a state judge’s order can’t just override a federal injunctive relief settlement. They even threw in that Saint Louis opted into the House settlement *twice*, meaning they signed up for these rules, 15-player limit included. They didn’t have to fill all 15 spots, but they did, leaving no room for Avila. It’s a total legal minefield.
Avila’s Rocky Road Back To The Court
This isn’t Avila’s first eligibility battle. He was one of a bunch of high school class of 2022 athletes fighting for that fifth year before the NCAA finally brought in its 5-in-5 model this summer. After his senior year at Saint Louis, Avila went undrafted in the 2026 NBA Draft. He even agreed to an Exhibition 10 contract with the Los Angeles Lakers and played for their Summer League team, but ultimately went unsigned for the NBA season. His argument in court was that he never *physically signed* that Lakers deal, only verbally agreed to it. The judge sided with him, and everyone, including Saint Louis head coach Josh Schertz, thought the path was clear. Schertz told SB Nation on Thursday that Avila “will be dressing and available for sure” for the rivalry game. Oh, how quickly things change. This dude was Atlantic 10 Player of the Year last season, averaging 12.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game. That’s a huge piece for the Billikens.
What a mess. Another college eligibility case is totally stuck in legal limbo. Saint Louis tips off against Missouri tonight without their Atlantic 10 Player of the Year, and it looks like this whole eligibility fight is just getting started, probably dragging on for months.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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