Arizona Wildcats Forward RJ Godfrey Withdraws From NCAA Eligibility Lawsuit Ahead of Season Opener
Arizona Wildcats forward RJ Godfrey and 15 other player plaintiffs dropped out of their federal eligibility lawsuit against the NCAA on Wednesday, leaving his immediate playing status uncertain just five days before the team’s opening game, si.com reported.
The lawsuit, originally filed in Georgia where Godfrey played his previous four seasons for the Clemson Tigers, was stayed at the request of the NCAA. Oral arguments in the case were pushed back to Jan. 12, forcing the athletes to reconsider their legal options as the regular season approached.
Clemson Career and the 5-in-5 Dispute
Godfrey spent four seasons in the ACC with Clemson. During his senior year, he averaged 12.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.5 assists while shooting 62.7 percent on two-pointers and 66 percent from the free-throw line.
Following the season, he entered the transfer portal and committed to Arizona on August 2, 2026. He sought a fifth year of eligibility through the courts after the NCAA implemented new five-in-five legislation. The rule granted five years of eligibility to student-athletes but excluded players who graduated high school in 2022. Godfrey and the other plaintiffs secured a temporary restraining order on August 5, 2026, granting him about a month of playing eligibility before the Georgia Court of Appeals stayed the case on Sept. 9.
With oral arguments in Chauncey Wiggins’ Georgia 5-in-5 lawsuit (Godfrey vs. NCAA) not scheduled until Jan. 12, the Gonzaga wing and other player plaintiffs have withdrawn from the case. Still waiting to see what Wiggins’ next course of action is. pic.twitter.com/kgbLYkZPSg
Roster Impact for Coach Tommy Lloyd
Arizona went 3-0 during its exhibition games in October. The team relied on freshman Maxsim Brnovic, Nebraska transfer Ugnius Jarusevicius, and Idaho State transfer Evan Otten to fill the power forward role alongside preseason All-American Motiejus Krivas.
Godfrey’s absence leaves a physical rebounding gap in the frontcourt. With him in the lineup beside Krivas, Ivan Kharchenkov, Caleb Holt, and Derek Dixon, analysts viewed Arizona as having one of the strongest starting rotations in the country.
Upcoming Schedule in Las Vegas
Arizona opens the regular season on Monday, Nov. 2, against the UCLA Bruins at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 PM PT, with national television coverage on TNT. It remains unclear what legal steps Godfrey will take next to secure eligibility for the contest.
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