FSU Basketball Forward Alex Steen Granted Fifth Year of Eligibility

There has been a lot of uproar ever since the NCAA passed the five-for-five rule. While it made current and future athletes eligible for up to five years, graduating members from the 2022 recruiting class were not grandfathered into the rule, meaning they were still ineligible.

Plenty of players in college athletics have been fighting the eligibility rules, especially in football and basketball, as they want to make the most of their NIL and their college playing days, filing temporary restraining orders against the NCAA with local courts.

The NCAA has fought its hardest to keep players from being eligible for a fifth year, but many cases are still being approved.

Such is the case for Florida State forward Alex Steen. His initial lawsuit was denied by the judge, but he appealed to the Second Judicial Circuit in Leon County and was granted a temporary injunction for a fifth year, and he will be available immediately.

Part of the new findings for this case, according to the court documents obtained by NoleGameday, was Florida guard Denzel Aberdeen becoming eligible in a very similar situation.

The biggest snag, in my opinion, was that Alex Steen had signed to play in Serbia for KK Borac Čačak. However, he likely hadn't received any money from that club yet and hadn't played for them. Steen has been practicing with Florida State all offseason and preseason in the event that he was declared eligible, and he got the good news on Monday afternoon.

While it is technically "temporary," and I'm sure that the NCAA will fight it, the documents state, "This injunction shall remain in effect until further notice or order from this Court."

It also says that the NCAA cannot enforce anything that keeps Steen from participating this season, so we'll see how iron-clad that is.

BREAKING: Florida State forward Alex Steen has been granted a fifth year of eligibility by the Second Judicial Court in Leon County

Huge news for the #Noles
— Austin Veazey (@EasyVeazeyNG) October 19, 2026

What Alex Steen's Eligibility Means for Florida State

This news is massive for Florida State. While they have a talented roster, there isn't much depth, especially in the frontcourt.

They started Sebastian Rancik and Marcis Ponder in the first exhibition game, but Valparaiso and Wake Forest transfer Cooper Schwieger was the only frontcourt option off the bench. Elisee Assui ended up playing some minutes at the 4 in the first preseason game against Auburn, but that wouldn't have been sustainable against bigger and deeper teams like Florida or Duke.

Having Steen back in the fold gives them legitimate depth in the frontcourt now. Steen averaged 6.8 PPG and 5.8 RPG last season, showing off a lot of ability as a passer, which gives them another twist they can throw at teams.

Mar 11, 2026; Charlotte, NC, USA; Florida State Seminoles forward Alex Steen (25) reacts in the first half at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

While Steen will never be the most imposing player, he's consistent, and he brings great energy on the glass, and you can never have enough of that.

Florida State experimented with lineups that had Ponder and Schwieger both playing against Auburn, and I think you'll be able to see more of that with Steen. Schwieger's shooting ability opens up a lot of things they can do, but it helps to have the depth to pull it off.

I'd still expect Ponder to start most games moving forward. His sheer size will be tough to deal with for most teams. Either way, it's been a while since FSU had this kind of depth and versatility in the frontcourt.

Add us as a preferred source on Google