October 15, 2026
Sullivan Papain attorneys Brian Shoot, TJ McManus, Glenn Nick, and Frank Floriani are representing St. John’s University basketball player Keyshawn Hall in an ongoing legal dispute with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) over his eligibility to compete during the 2026–27 season.
On October 13, 2026, the Honorable Supreme Court Justice Joseph Risi in Queens Supreme Court declined to vacate a temporary restraining order that allows Hall to remain eligible to play while his case proceeds. The ruling followed a hearing in which the NCAA sought to have the existing order lifted.
St. John’s University and Head Coach Rick Pitino have stood firmly behind Hall in his pursuit of fair treatment, with Coach Pitino personally accompanying Hall to court. Their support underscores the importance of ensuring that student-athletes receive fair consideration under the rules governing their eligibility.
Dispute Centers on NCAA Eligibility Rules
Hall, who transferred to St. John’s from Auburn University, is seeking an additional season of college basketball eligibility under the NCAA’s revised eligibility framework. His legal challenge concerns the exclusion of certain athletes from the revised rules, including those whose college enrollment circumstances placed them outside the group eligible for the additional season.
The firm, in representing Keyshawn, is contending that he and the other student-athletes who first entered college in 2022 should get the same 5 years as everyone else, the same five years as all of the student-athletes who entered school in 2021, 2023, 2024 or 2025.
Hall has not been accused of violating any NCAA rules or failing to meet any applicable requirements. Rather, the dispute centers on how the NCAA’s revised eligibility framework applies to student-athletes based on the year they first enrolled in college. Sullivan Papain maintains that Hall should receive the same opportunity for an additional season of eligibility as similarly situated student-athletes.
All four New York courts that have reached and resolved this very issue have all ruled against the NCAA and in favor of the student. While the judge in Keyshawn’s case has not yet rendered a final determination of whether all four of those courts were in error, the judge has, at our request, ruled that Keyshawn should be and will be allowed to practice with and play for the St. John’s team until such time as the court makes a final determination.
What the Court’s Decision Means
Justice Risi’s decision to leave the temporary restraining order in place represents a meaningful development in Hall’s effort to secure an additional season of eligibility. By allowing Hall to continue playing while the case proceeds, the court has preserved his opportunity to compete as the legal dispute moves forward.
The case remains ongoing, with the court’s decision on the preliminary injunction still pending as of October 14, 2026.