Earlier this month, the Indiana Hoosiers got a big boost when Sam Alexis announced his intention to return for one more season of college basketball. Alexis was granted an additional year of eligibility thanks to a court ruling from a U.S. District Court judge in Colorado that granted a preliminary injunction to plaintiffs challenging the NCAA’s new age-based eligibility rule.
The decision from Judge Charlotte Sweeney gave thousands of athletes in the high school Class of 2022 a fifth year of eligibility. However, the Tennessee Court of Appeals has stayed the injunction previously granted to the plaintiff athletes pending appeal. In short, that means that Alexis' return to the Hoosiers for 2026-27 is now in major jeopardy.
Eligibility for Sam Alexis is now in serious doubt
In recent days, the trial court had denied the NCAA’s request for a stay of the injunction. But now that has changed. The decision from the Tennessee Court of Appeals deems the NCAA’s likelihood of success sufficient enough to warrant a stay.
In summary, this is a major blow toward Alexis returning to Indiana for the upcoming 2026-27 season. An appeal is the next step, but it remains to be seen when that will be heard. With the new season right around the corner, things aren't looking good.
At the time, Alexis coming back to Indiana gave the new-look Hoosier frontcourt some valuable depth. Transfers Aiden Sherrell (Alabama) and Samet Yigitoglu (SMU), as well as returner Trent Sisley, have the Hoosier frontcourt in a good place. But you can never have enough depth. Alexis would've become the second returner from last year's team, joining Sisley, and would have provided some much-needed continuity to Darian DeVries' Year 2 roster.
Alexis spent two seasons at Chattanooga and one season at Florida where he was apart of the Gators' National Championship team in 2024-25. During his lone season in Bloomington, the 6'9" forward appeared in 32 games with 23 starts and averaged 8.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game.
Indiana football players also impacted by latest NCAA eligibility mess
Along with the basketball roster being impacted, Indiana's football roster is also going through some eligibility uncertainty. Based on the same ruling from Judge Sweeney in Colorado earlier this month, Indiana defensive linemen Kellan Wyatt and Stephen Daley were also slated to return to the Hoosiers on the gridiron this season. But like Alexis, their eligibility is now on pause as well.
Alexis should still be able to practice and work out with the team, but at this point in time, seeing him suit up for games isn't an option. That can change, as the back-and-forth eligibility chaos in the NCAA never seems to have a final conclusion. As the offseason goes on, things only continue to get messier and more confusing.
Who knows what the next development will be in this non-stop mess will bring. Hopefully Alexis is granted his appeal and can return to the hardwood. The Hoosiers open the new regular season on November 2 against Eastern Illinois.
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