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Florida State forward dealt setback in eligibility case
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- Florida State forward dealt setback in eligibility case
Former Florida State forward Alex Steen suffered a setback in his effort to secure another season of college basketball eligibility, according to Chris Nee of Noles247 . Leon County Circuit Court Judge David M. Frank denied Steen's verified emergency motion for a temporary and preliminary injunction on Friday, Sept. 11. Steen is suing the NCAA in an effort to obtain a fifth season of eligibility for the 2026-27 season.
Steen and attorneys representing both sides appeared before Frank for a hearing on Sept. 2. The former Seminole is part of the 2022 high school class and played four consecutive college seasons without redshirting. His lawsuit challenges his exclusion from the NCAA's new eligibility framework that provides five seasons of competition to athletes from the 2023 class and beyond.
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Under Florida law, Steen needed to satisfy four requirements to receive a temporary injunction: a substantial likelihood of success on the merits, no adequate remedy at law, irreparable harm without an injunction, and a showing that granting relief would serve the public interest. Frank determined Steen had not met the necessary standard.
The court found Steen's claimed losses involving practices, workouts, team activities, recruiting conversations, and professional evaluation were not supported by sufficient evidence and remained speculative. Frank also wrote that potential lost NIL income could be measured financially and therefore addressed through monetary damages.
Frank additionally determined a temporary injunction would not serve the public interest, reasoning that granting one player another season could affect roster spots, playing time, scholarships, and revenue-sharing allocations for other athletes.
The ruling does not resolve Steen's underlying lawsuit. Frank wrote that the denial was not a determinative decision on Steen's claims, and the case will proceed toward a full evidentiary hearing on the merits. The parties were ordered to submit a proposed scheduling order within five days.
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Steen spent three seasons at Division II Florida Southern before transferring to Florida State for the 2025-26 season. He averaged 6.8 points and a team-high 5.8 rebounds across 32 games for the Seminoles.
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This article originally appeared on FSU Wire: Florida State forward dealt setback in eligibility case
