Court Date Set in Kansas Guard Melvin Council Jr.’s Eligibility Case

Kansas basketball fans are one step closer to learning whether Melvin Council Jr. will be deemed eligible for next season. A court date has been set for the former Jayhawks guard to hear the fate of the lawsuit he filed in July.

According to the case details, a "motion for temporary injunction" will be heard on Sept. 4 at 9 a.m. CT in Douglas County District Court. Judge Mark A. Simpson will determine whether to grant or deny the injunction.

If the injunction is granted even partially, it could allow Council to play for the entirety of the 2026-27 season while the case continues since the lawsuit itself could take much longer to resolve.

KUsports.com beat reporter Henry Greenstein noted that the initial injunction request Council filed has provisions that would protect himself and KU from punishment if he were to suit up and eventually be denied eligibility midseason.

This will be the hearing on Council's motion for a temporary injunction.

After the judge issues an order on Council's application for an injunction, the NCAA will then have 30 more days to file a formal response to Council's actual lawsuit — not just the injunction application. https://t.co/DO8UGNDDpH
— Henry Greenstein (@HenryGreenstein) August 17, 2026

The basis of Council's argument is that his two years at the junior college level should not count toward his NCAA eligibility clock. He claims a criminal case that was later dismissed caused Division I programs to turn away from him, forcing him to play at a lower level instead.

After spending two years at JUCO, Council played three seasons across three Division I programs Wagner, St. Bonaventure, and Kansas. He has expressed a willingness to return to Lawrence if his injunction is granted.

There will also be a Zoom hearing on Aug. 21 as the case continues to develop.

Meanwhile, the NCAA is pushing back with force against Council's lawsuit. The organization filed a 20-page response last week, arguing in part that it cannot be sued under Kansas state law and that Council immediately forfeited his collegiate eligibility by playing in the NBA Summer League and signing an Exhibit 10 contract with the New Orleans Pelicans.

There's still plenty of uncertainty surrounding the case, but we'll have a much better idea of Council's future when Sept. 4 arrives. Even if the odds aren't necessarily in KU's favor, there is still a chance Jayhawk fans could see Council in the crimson and blue for one more season.

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