Story by
Nya Robertson gains temporary eligibility, will be available for Lady Vols at Coppin State
- Story by
- Nya Robertson gains temporary eligibility, will be available for Lady Vols at Coppin State
Lady Vols basketball guard Nya Robertson will be added to the roster and available for Tennessee's road game against Coppin State after she was granted a temporary restraining order Nov. 2.
Robertson is one of the plaintiffs in the Hosea Wheeler lawsuit against the NCAA to gain eligibility this season as one of the seniors in the 2022 class who was excluded from the NCAA's new age-based eligibility rules implemented this summer.
Advertisement
Tennessee was already at the roster limit of 15, but an exception was granted to add Robertson, a source who did not wish to be identified told Knox News.
Robertson, who has stayed on as a student assistant at Tennessee this season, set the program record for 3-pointers in a single game when she hit 10 against Coppin State at home last season. The Lady Vols play the Eagles in Baltimore on Nov. 5 (7 p.m. ET, MEAC Network).
The temporary restraining order, which lasts 10 days, was only granted to Robertson, TCU's Colin Clough and Rice's Darya Schwartzman out of the many athletes named in the suit because their seasons have started, according to documents obtained by Knox News.
"The Court finds that the Specified Intervenor Plaintiffs have demonstrated a probable right to recovery and a probable, imminent, and irreparable injury in the absence of immediate temporary relief," the document said. "The Specified Intervenor Plaintiffs are currently within their collegiate athletic seasons and face the immediate loss of finite opportunities to enroll, practice, train, compete, obtain roster positions, and receive compensation associated with participation in collegiate athletics during the 2026–2027 academic year. Those opportunities are time-sensitive and cannot be restored after the season or adequately compensated by damages."
Advertisement
The temporary restraining order expires on Nov. 13, and there will be a hearing on Nov. 16 regarding the temporary orders.
The new age-based model gives athletes five seasons of eligibility and eliminates traditional redshirts and waivers for extra eligibility. Many graduating seniors have since joined lawsuits against the NCAA to be included in the new rules and gain a fifth season, including Tennessee basketball's Jalen Washington, who is also a plaintiff in the same lawsuit, but was not granted a temporary restraining order.
Robertson transferred to Tennessee last season and started in 21 of her 30 appearances. She began her career at George Washington for two seasons before playing at SMU during her junior season. The 5-foot-7 guard from Fort Worth, Texas, averaged 8.5 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.3 assists while shooting 33.1% from 3-point range.
Cora Hall is the University of Tennessee women's athletics reporter for Knox News. Email: cora.hall@knoxnews.com; X: @corahalll ; Bluesky: @corahall.bsky.social . Support strong local journalism and unlock premium perks: knoxnews.com/subscribe
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Nya Robertson gains temporary eligibility, will be available for Lady Vols at Coppin State
