Jamichael Stillwell, a forward who committed to Texas Tech, is currently ineligible to compete due to a recent legal development in Georgia. The NCAA successfully obtained a stay on preliminary injunctions that had previously allowed athletes to gain an additional year of eligibility.
This ruling affects several players, including Stillwell, who was recruited by head coach Grant McCasland after the Red Raiders secured a prior court victory.
The dispute centers on revised NCAA eligibility guidelines that grant athletes five years of collegiate competition. Players from the 2022 recruiting class argued they should benefit from the extra year, a position the NCAA contested. The organization has repeatedly sought to reverse decisions that granted these additional years.
The latest move by the Georgia appeals court marks a significant shift for athletes covered by state-specific injunctions.
Stillwell’s situation mirrors that of fellow Red Raider Donovan Atwell, who also faces eligibility hurdles. Atwell’s return to Lubbock was halted by a stay granted in Colorado. Unlike Atwell, Stillwell had pursued a personal injunction in Georgia rather than relying on the broader ruling from Colorado.
Atwell has since filed a lawsuit in Lubbock County seeking a temporary injunction, with a hearing scheduled for October 15 after being rescheduled from September 11.
