BRYAN, Texas — Texas A&M guard Rylan Griffen cannot play for the Aggies for now after a Brazos County judge in Bryan, Texas, threw out the suit he filed against the NCAA, ruling Wednesday evening.
Judge John Brick of the 272nd District Court in Bryan agreed with the NCAA that his court lacked jurisdiction over the governing body. The NCAA’s lawyer, Taylor Askew, argued that the organization had taken no action against Griffen in Texas and that any case belongs in Indiana, home of NCAA headquarters. With that ruling, arguments over an injunction no longer mattered.
Brick had granted Griffen a temporary restraining order on Sept. 14 that let him rejoin the team. That order ran out Wednesday, which is why the judge said he would rule the same day after a hearing that lasted about three and a half hours.
Griffen, who finished high school in 2022, is chasing a fifth college season under the age-based rule the NCAA adopted this year that caps play at five years. Players from his class were left out of that change. His lawyers argued the exclusion was never written into the bylaw itself, while the NCAA pointed to documents showing an Aug. 1, 2026 effective date.
Jay Rudinger, who represents Griffen, said the decision is not backed by the law or the facts and that the team will pursue every remedy to protect a fifth year. A sports law professor said refiling in another state may be Griffen’s best option. The NCAA won a similar jurisdiction argument in Brazos County on Oct. 22 in a case brought by former A&M guard Marcus Hill.
Griffen testified he has a six-figure revenue-sharing deal waiting at A&M if he is cleared. Last season he started 27 of 32 games, ranked second on the team at 11.2 points per game and led it with 1.6 steals. The Aggies open the season at home against Alabama State on Tuesday, Nov. 3.
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