Arizona's RJ Godfrey withdraws from NCAA eligibility lawsuit with season opener looming

Arizona Wildcats forward RJ Godfrey is no longer suing the NCAA for an additional year of college basketball eligibility after he, and 15 other plaintiffs, withdrew their name from the Godfrey vs. NCAA lawsuit on Wednesday.

The lawsuit, filed by Godfrey in the state of Georgia where he played for Clemson the past four seasons, is currently stayed at the request of the NCAA, rendering Godfrey and the other plaintiffs ineligible. Oral arguments in the case were finally scheduled but not until Jan. 12, well into the regular season, prompting multiple players to withdraw and presumably pursue other avenues to eligibility.

It is unclear as of this writing what Godfrey's next steps will be in his attempt to play for the Wildcats this upcoming season.

With oral arguments in Chauncey Wiggins’ Georgia 5-in-5 lawsuit (Godfrey vs. NCAA) not scheduled until Jan. 12, the Gonzaga wing and other player plaintiffs have withdrawn from the case. Still waiting to see what Wiggins’ next course of action is. pic.twitter.com/kgbLYkZPSg
— Theo Lawson (@TheoLawson_SR) October 28, 2026

Godfrey vs. NCAA

Mar 19, 2026; Tampa, FL, USA; Clemson Tigers forward RJ Godfrey (0) participates in a practice session ahead of the first round of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Benchmark International Arena. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Godfrey spent the first four seasons of his college career at Clemson in the ACC, culminating in a fantastic senior year where he averaged 12.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.5 assists while shooting 62.7% on two pointers and 66% from the free throw line.

He entered the transfer portal at the conclusion of the season and eventually pursued legal action to get a fifth year of eligibility, after the NCAA passed new five-in-five legislation that granted all student-athletes five years - but that arbitrarily excluded those who graduated high school in 2022.

Godfrey and the other plaintiffs were granted a TRO on August 5, 2026, just three days after he made his commitment to Arizona public.

He had about a month of eligibility before the case was stayed by the Georgia Court of Appeals on Sep. 9, rendering him ineligible.

That is where the case remains to this day, even after a similar case - Borovicanin vs. NCAA - had the stay reversed by the Ohio Supreme Court in mid-October.

The lack of movement on the case, combined with the very late scheduling for oral arguments, led to a mass exodus of plaintiffs and could result in Godfrey looking for court to give him an expedited TRO or injunction with opening night just five days away.

What it means for Arizona

Jan 2, 2026; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers forward Ugnius Jarusevicius (13) warms up before the game against the Michigan State Spartans at Pinnacle Bank Arena | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Arizona went 3-0 in exhibition games this month, but it was quite clear they could use a rugged, physical rebounder like Godfrey on the interior alongside preseason All-American Mo Krivas.

Godfrey is a perfect fit in coach Lloyd's system, and him starting next to Krivas, Ivan Kharchenkov, and guards Caleb Holt and Derek Dixon would give Arizona one of the strongest starting lineups in the country.

Instead, at least for now, Arizona will fill that power forward spot with a combination of Kharchenkov playing out of position, freshman Maxsim Brnovic, Nebraska transfer Ugnius Jarusevicius, and Idaho State transfer Evan Otten.

Brnovic in particular showed off his athleticism and perimeter shooting during the exhibition season, but there is no debate Arizona is at its best with Godfrey in the mix - and they will hope to get him cleared as soon as possible.

Arizona opens up the season on Monday, Nov. 2 against UCLA at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Tip is set for 7:00 PM PT and the game will be shown on TNT.

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