Oakland U basketball star's bid for extra season dealt major blow in court

A star Oakland basketball player's bid to secure a fifth season of eligibility took a major hit Friday when an Oakland County judge denied Brody Robinson's request for a preliminary injunction in his case against the NCAA. Robinson filed a lawsuit against the NCAA seeking the extra season, arguing his one season of junior-college basketball shouldn't count toward his eligibility window. Robinson, a point guard, argued in a court filing earlier this month that an extra year of eligibility could earn him $500,000 or more in NIL money, likely by transferring away from Oakland, and he was granted a temporary restraining order April 6 .

But in a virtual hearing Friday, with Robinson's legal team and representatives from the NCAA participating, Oakland County Circuit Court Judge David Cohen denied the preliminary injunction, according to online court records. There have been dozens of similar cases filed against the NCAA this year, with a mixed bag of results, but more preliminary injunctions being denied than granted. David Russell, Robinson's lawyer of Lansing-based Foster, Smith, Collins & Smith, didn't respond to a request for comment Friday.

He has previously declined to comment publicly on the lawsuit. The News reached out to the NCAA for comment Friday, and hadn't heard back as of Friday night. Robinson, 22, has played four years of college basketball, including three years of Division I ball, at three different universities.

The latest was Oakland University, in 2025-26, when he averaged 17. 6 points and 6. 7 assists as a top point guard at the mid-major level.