Council suing NCAA in attempt to become eligible for 2026-27 season

Melvin Council Jr. is taking legal action against the NCAA to secure eligibility for the upcoming 2026-27 basketball season. The former Kansas guard filed a lawsuit in Douglas County requesting an injunction that would allow him to compete for a sixth season. Council played at three different Division I schools after spending two years at a junior college and argues that his eligibility clock should not have started during his time at the junior college level.

The lawsuit names the NCAA and Illinois athletic director Josh Whitman as defendants. It alleges breach of contract and tortious interference, claiming that the NCAA waiver process prevented Council from further developing his professional basketball prospects and limited his ability to secure name, image, and likeness earnings. Council previously had a waiver request denied in May. His legal team describes the NCAA waiver committee’s internal stance on denials as a display of bad faith.

Court records detail that Council’s pursuit of eligibility involves his history with legal charges in high school. These charges were later dismissed, and Council was fully exonerated. District Attorney Sandra Doorley and Council’s former attorney Jon Getz have both affirmed his character, noting the case was unique and resolved in a way that cleared his name. Despite this, his path to another collegiate season remains blocked by current NCAA regulations.

Coach Bill Self stated that the university is monitoring the litigation as it moves forward. The NCAA is currently transitioning to a new eligibility model that will allow athletes to play five seasons within a five-year window, though this change does not assist Council’s specific current request. Council went undrafted in the 2026 NBA Draft and recently appeared in the Summer League for the New Orleans Pelicans as he attempts to build his professional career.