St. John's Player Keyshawn Hall Wins Court Order for Fifth Year of Eligibility
A judge declined to remove a temporary restraining order, allowing the transfer player to play while his case against the NCAA proceeds.
St. John’s wing Keyshawn Hall received a boost in his legal battle for a fifth year of NCAA eligibility when a judge opted not to vacate a temporary restraining order against the governing body. The decision by Queens Supreme Court Judge Joseph J. Risi means Hall remains eligible to play while awaiting a ruling on a preliminary injunction, though a definitive timeline for that decision is uncertain.
Hall, a 6-foot-7 transfer from Auburn, is part of the 2022 high school class that was not included in the NCAA's new rule granting five years of eligibility over five seasons. Hall's attorney, Brian Shoot, argued that the NCAA’s modification of eligibility rules, excluding the 2022 class, constitutes a breach of contract.
Shoot cited a series of similar legal victories for players in New York state over the past month, where judges have ruled in favor of athletes seeking eligibility. The NCAA attempted to have Hall's temporary restraining order dismissed, labeling his legal action as "forum shopping" due to previous involvement in a larger case in Ohio concerning other members of the 2022 class. However, Judge Risi ruled against the NCAA's motion.
"Four judges in the state have ruled, they’ve all ruled the same way, and what was most convincing to those four judges was why?" Shoot stated. "If [Hall] entered college, not in 2022, but in 2023, he’d have five years. If he entered in 2024, he’d have five years. If he entered in 2021, he’d have five years because they got an extra year for COVID. Of all the athletes, you selected this [class]. Why? What’s different about them?"