Zach Davis Leads NCAA Lawsuit For Extra Season

Multiple Players Sue NCAA for Fifth Year

Former Memphis guard Zach Davis is among 11 men’s basketball players who have filed a Tennessee lawsuit targeting the NCAA in an effort to secure an additional season of eligibility. The co‑plaintiffs include Jalen Washington, Brody Robinson, Jack Browder, Ola Ajiboye, Daniel Egbuniwe, Cameron Fens, Chendall Weaver, Jason Edwards, Tarence Guinyard and A.J. Storr. Adding to the case, women’s player Carly Keats from Southern Miss has also signed on as a co‑plaintiff.

The legal action follows the NCAA Division I Cabinet’s unanimous adoption of an age‑based eligibility framework last month. Under the new rules, a student‑athlete’s five‑year clock starts either upon full‑time enrollment at a university or on the academic year after their 19th birthday, whichever occurs first. The policy, however, excludes athletes who finished four seasons of eligibility before the spring 2026 campaign ended.

NCAA President’s Rationale

NCAA President Charlie Baker issued a June statement explaining that the shift removes “aspects of the rules that have proven difficult to administer in the current litigious environment.” He added that the model clarifies limited‑circumstance exceptions and aligns eligibility with typical college enrollment and graduation timelines. Baker noted that 98 % of the 550,000 NCAA student‑athletes will pursue professional careers outside of sports.

Zach Davis’s Playing History

Zach Davis spent three seasons at South Carolina before moving to Memphis for the 2025‑26 term. With the Tigers he posted averages of 7.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.1 steals. Davis faced a mid‑season suspension for a team‑rules infraction, missed one game, and was reinstated by coach Penny Hardaway. Memphis currently has no roster spots available for the 2026‑27 season.

Legal Filing surfaces

The lawsuit was first shared on social media by Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger on July 6. It targets the NCAA’s eligibility system, seeking a judicial remedy that would allow the plaintiffs to compete in an additional season.

But that will not prevent players like Davis and others from seeking relief from the legal system.

“This change to an age-based model eliminates aspects of the rules that have proven difficult to administer in the current litigious environment and clearly defines the exceptions available in limited circumstances, while preserving the long-intended alignment of eligibility with typical college enrollment and graduation patterns, because 98% of the 550,000 NCAA student-athletes will go pro in something other than sports,” NCAA president Charlie Baker said in a statement in June.

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Davis spent three seasons at South Carolina before transferring to Memphis before the 2025-26 season. He averaged 7.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.1 steals during a rocky stint with the Tigers that included a late-season suspension for a violation of team rules. He missed one game before being reinstated by coach Penny Hardaway.

Memphis does not presently have any openings on its roster for the 2026-27 season.

Reach sports writer Jason Munz at [email protected], follow him @munzly on X.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Former Memphis basketball guard Zach Davis suing NCAA for 5th year of eligibility