Former Kansas guard Melvin Council Jr. is seeking a sixth year of college basketball through the court system.
According to court records filed in Douglas County, Council has sued the NCAA in an effort to gain immediate eligibility for the 2026-27 season after the organization denied his waiver request earlier this year.
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The lawsuit, filed Thursday, names both the NCAA and Illinois athletic director Josh Whitman, who serves as chair of the NCAA Division I Council, as defendants. Council is requesting an injunction that would allow him to compete immediately while also preventing the NCAA from enforcing additional eligibility restrictions against him or any school he joins.
Council spent two seasons at Monroe College before transferring to Wagner, St. Bonaventure and Kansas. His legal argument centers on the claim that his junior college seasons should not count toward his NCAA eligibility, leaving him with one remaining year at the Division I level.
The lawsuit alleges the NCAA’s current eligibility rules unfairly limit Council’s ability to continue developing as a player while also restricting his opportunities to earn income through name, image and likeness deals and pursue a professional basketball career.
Council’s attorneys also criticized the NCAA’s waiver process after his request for an additional season was denied in May. The filing argues the organization has unfairly handled waiver requests and references internal NCAA guidance that allegedly encouraged the denial of additional eligibility petitions.
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The lawsuit also points to legal circumstances that led Council to begin his college career at the junior college level. Court filings state that criminal charges filed against Council while he was in high school were ultimately dismissed and that he was later exonerated.
Kansas coach Bill Self previously said the university thoroughly reviewed Council’s legal history during the recruiting process and was comfortable welcoming him to the program after speaking with those involved in the case.
Council averaged 12.7 points, 5.1 assists and 5.0 rebounds during his lone season at Kansas, earning Big 12 Newcomer of the Year honors before entering the transfer portal following the season. After going undrafted in the 2026 NBA Draft, he played for the New Orleans Pelicans during NBA Summer League.
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