College basketball player Mantas Rubštavičius has taken legal action in an Alabama court after the NCAA refused to certify his eligibility for the upcoming season, Auburn Undercover reported. The 24-year-old guard, who committed to the Auburn Tigers in May and signed an official contract in June, faces strict NCAA evaluations regarding his past professional career in Europe.
Rubštavičius previously played in the Žalgiris system and competed in the EuroLeague and the LKL. To facilitate his move to the United States, he agreed to a 300,000-euro buyout obligation to terminate his contract with Žalgiris, according to AuburnOn3 journalist Justin Hokansonas.
Auburn University Backs Legal Challenge
Auburn University released an official statement confirming awareness of the lawsuit and expressing full support for the player’s efforts. The institution informed both the SEC and the NCAA of the legal proceedings.
Auburn University supports Mantas’s pursuit through legal channels to seek clarity on his eligibility to play,
the university stated. We also continue to support the SEC rule regarding former professionals returning to college sports, which we believe does not apply to the circumstances specified in Mantas’s case.
The lawsuit emphasizes that both Rubštavičius and the university acted in good faith, relying on previous NCAA precedents that granted exceptions to foreign players with similar backgrounds.
Eligibility Status and Season Timetable
The legal challenge highlights ongoing inconsistencies in how governing bodies apply past professional status rules to international student-athletes entering the college system. The Auburn athletic department maintains that the specific parameters of Rubštavičius’s departure from European professional club basketball fall outside the restrictive scope of current conference and national bylaws.
The Alabama court will determine whether a ruling arrives before the Tigers tip off their regular season in early November.
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