Saint Louis forward Robbie Avila won a preliminary injunction Thursday from St. Louis City Circuit Court, clearing him to play a fifth season of men’s college basketball for the Billikens.
The court also authorized Saint Louis University to carry a 16th scholarship player on its roster for Avila while litigation continues. A full trial is scheduled for several months from now.
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Avila played two seasons at Indiana State under coach Josh Schertz before transferring with him to Saint Louis. He started 132 of his 137 career games. He averaged 17.3 points per game as a junior and 12.8 points last season.
Saint Louis went 29–6 last season, captured the Atlantic 10 regular-season title, earned a No. 9 seed in the NCAA Tournament, defeated Georgia in the first round, and lost to Michigan — the tournament’s eventual champion.
The injunction stems from the NCAA’s newly adopted "five-for-five" eligibility framework, which permits athletes five seasons of competition within a five-year window beginning when they turn 19 or graduate high school — whichever occurs first. The policy was not intended to apply to members of the 2022 high school class who had already completed their eligibility, prompting multiple lawsuits.
Judges have ruled in favor of plaintiffs in most of those cases. Gonzaga coach Mark Few criticized the NCAA’s implementation as unfair. Duke coach Jon Scheyer cautioned that some injunctions may be overturned later this season.
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