Clemson WR Smith gets injunction to play in '26
Key takeaways
- Salvini of South Carolina's 13th Judicial Circuit pointed to eligibility cases involving Malik Benson and Diego Pavia, former junior college players who were granted waivers for an additional year.
- "The only material distinction the Court can identify between Mr.
- Indeed, former junior college players in the graduating class of 2024-25 received a blanket extra year of eligibility after Pavia won his lawsuit.
Why this matters: a sports story that could shift standings, legacies, or fan conversations.
Smith had sued the NCAA in January after the organization denied his waiver for a fifth season of eligibility, arguing the decision was "a hallmark of capricious and arbitrary treatment" based on similar waivers that were granted to former junior college players like himself.
In her ruling, Judge Jessica A. Salvini of South Carolina's 13th Judicial Circuit pointed to eligibility cases involving Malik Benson and Diego Pavia, former junior college players who were granted waivers for an additional year. Salvini said Benson's case is "nearly identical to the present case."
"The only material distinction the Court can identify between Mr. Benson's case, and the instant matter is that Mr. Smith's final Division I season falls in 2025-26 rather than 2024-25," Salvini wrote.