Judge grants Robbie Avila temporary restraining order, clearing him to rejoin Saint Louis roster
A judge granted a temporary restraining order on Friday allowing Saint Louis basketball player Robbie Avila to be added to the Billikens' roster for the 2026-27 season, according to media reports. Avila had been seeking a fifth year of eligibility through the courts and is already enrolled at Saint Louis for the current school year. The ruling is temporary, as Avila is scheduled to appear in court on Nov. 4 for a follow-up hearing, two days after Saint Louis opens its season against Lehigh on Nov. 2. Avila went undrafted in the 2026 NBA Draft and signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, participating in summer league play before pursuing the return to college eligibility.
Although the ACC, Big 12, Big Ten and SEC have been among the conferences to speak out and set sidelines about professional athletes returning to college, the Atlantic 10 has yet to set forth any guidelines surrounding the topic.
Why it matters
For coaches: Coaches recruiting or building rosters around players with professional experience should monitor how courts and individual conferences handle eligibility disputes, given the lack of uniform rules.
For athletes: Avila's case signals that college athletes who go undrafted and sign non-guaranteed professional contracts may pursue court-ordered eligibility relief to return to college competition.
For collectives: The Atlantic 10's absence of guidelines on professional athletes returning to college creates uncertainty for programs and those supporting them in that conference.
Read the full story at CBS Sports
Sources
- CBS Sports · Cameron Salerno: Robbie Avila cleared to return to Saint Louis: Judge rules Billikens star can be added to roster