Judge Denies NCAA Bid to Pause Athlete Injunction

A federal judge in West Virginia kept an injunction in place that allows four university athletes to remain eligible while the case is appealed.

Updated on Nov. 7, 2026 in Basketball

Professional photograph of an empty collegiate basketball arena with polished hardwood court and tiered bleachers under even overhead light. — U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey on Friday denied the NCAA's emergency motion to pause an injunction keeping four West Virginia athletes eligible while the case is appealed. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Live Poll

Should college athletes stay eligible to play while NCAA eligibility lawsuits are appealed?

U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey denied the NCAA's emergency motion on Friday in the Northern District of West Virginia, which had sought to temporarily suspend a preliminary injunction covering four athletes. The injunction remains in place while the appeal continues.

Why it matters

The ruling keeps four West Virginia athletes eligible to compete during the appeal, including two members of the WVU men's basketball team. It leaves the injunction intact for now, shaping eligibility for the state's collegiate athletes while the legal dispute plays out.

The court-ordered injunction covers four athletes, with Lorient and Buchanan on the WVU men's basketball roster and Chambers in football and McDougal in baseball. The full appellate timeline and any ruling on the merits remain unresolved.

The players

John Preston Bailey

U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of West Virginia who issued the ruling denying the NCAA's motion.

National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)

The national governing body for U.S. college sports, which filed the emergency motion seeking to suspend the injunction.

The details

The NCAA sought to temporarily suspend the preliminary injunction while the appeal proceeds, but the judge declined. The four athletes filed their opposition on October 26, and the NCAA submitted its reply on November 2 before the court's Friday decision.

October 16: NCAA filed its emergency motion to stay the injunction.
October 26: The four athletes filed their opposition.
November 2: The NCAA submitted its reply brief.
Friday, November 6: Judge Bailey denied the NCAA's request.

Season Trajectory

The decision continues a pattern in which federal courts have granted athletes preliminary relief from NCAA eligibility rules while appeals proceed. For West Virginia, it keeps key basketball, football and baseball players available as the season is underway.

Lorient and Buchanan remain eligible for the WVU men's basketball team while the appeal continues. The injunction also keeps Chambers and McDougal eligible in football and baseball.

The takeaway

Athletes facing eligibility disputes can be protected by preliminary injunctions even when the NCAA challenges them, but the final outcome depends on the appeal.