A Brazos County judge ruled Wednesday that the court does not have jurisdiction over the NCAA, a decision that sustained the NCAA's special appearance. Judge John Brick dismissed the eligibility case of Texas A&M forward Rylan Griffen as a result, which makes Griffen ineligible again.
Griffen's attorneys had argued that he should be included in the NCAA's age-based eligibility model, which allows athletes five years to complete five seasons. Athletes in the 2022 recruiting class who completed four years have been excluded from a fifth season. Brick did not consider those arguments because he decided the jurisdiction issue first.
Texas A&M men's basketball coach Bucky McMillan said at a media availability Thursday that he was shocked by the ruling. He said it was somewhat unprecedented in how it was decided. Last week, Judge Kyle Hawthorne also sustained an NCAA special appearance in the eligibility case of former Texas A&M guard Marcus Hill. Temporary injunctions for members of the 2022 class have been ordered in other Texas cases.