A Brazos County judge dismissed former Texas A&M men's basketball guard Rylan Griffen's suit against the NCAA on Wednesday. Judge John Brick sustained the NCAA's special appearance, which argued the court does not have jurisdiction over the organization. The NCAA said it had taken no action in Texas, such as sanctioning Griffen, and that the case should be heard in Indiana, where the NCAA is headquartered.
Griffen's attorney, Jay Rudinger, said the decision is not supported by the law or the facts. He said the team would use every legal remedy available to protect Griffen's fifth year of eligibility. Boise State sports law professor Sam Ehrlich said Griffen's best option would be to refile the suit in another state.
A similar special appearance was also successful for the NCAA in a separate Brazos County case on Oct. 22. Judge Kyle Hawthorne dismissed a suit by former A&M guard Marcus Hill. Because Brick sustained the special appearance, he did not rule on the injunction request. Griffen's suit sought another year of eligibility tied to the NCAA's new age-based eligibility model, which excluded the 2022 recruiting class. His attorneys argued the NCAA breached its contract with those athletes.