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Robbie Avila, the bespectacled big man who became a fan favorite at Saint Louis and previously at Indiana State under coach Josh Schertz, is expected to enroll at TCU in the coming days, sources confirmed to Sports Illustrated. The move comes after a prolonged eligibility dispute that began when Avila sued the NCAA over its age-based eligibility rules.
247Sports' Jon Rothstein was first to report the development. Avila is among dozens of high-profile players who have taken legal action against the NCAA, and last week he secured a permanent injunction in a Missouri state court. His initial lawsuit in Illinois was dismissed in early September for lack of personal jurisdiction, prompting him to enroll at Saint Louis for the fall semester and file a new suit in Missouri.
Avila's case grew more complex when he requested permission to exceed the sport's roster limit, as Saint Louis already had the maximum 15 players. A judge granted that request against the NCAA, but on Friday afternoon the College Sports Commission (CSC), which enforces rules from the House vs. NCAA settlement, announced it was blocking Avila's return to Saint Louis. The roster limit rules are among the changes from the settlement and apply only to schools that have opted in, as Saint Louis has.
In a statement, the CSC said: "While we take no position on Mr. Avila's eligibility, we cannot effectuate a state court order that requires us to violate the explicit terms of a federal injunctive relief settlement by giving Saint Louis University an additional roster slot. Mr. Avila may be eligible to play college basketball this season, but there is no roster slot available for him at Saint Louis University."
Rather than fight the CSC's ruling, Avila and Saint Louis explored alternatives, and TCU emerged as a viable option earlier this week. With a clearer path to sustained eligibility and a potential payday sources say is around $1 million, Avila chose to leave Saint Louis and is expected to play for the Horned Frogs this season.
The key question now is when Avila can make his TCU debut. The university offers four four-week academic terms during the fall in addition to the main 15-week semester, with the last four-week term starting Monday, November 16. If Avila can enroll in enough classes to be eligible by then, he could take the court as soon as November 19 against Texas A&M. TCU is also set to play in the Players Era 16 tournament the following week, and the program would surely want Avila available for those key games. If he cannot enroll in time, he would likely have to wait until the fall semester concludes, making him eligible closer to the start of Big 12 play.
The Horned Frogs are off to a 3-0 start but needed double overtime to get past Louisiana-Monroe earlier this week. Once eligible, Avila could slot in as a starter alongside star forward Xavier Edmonds. However, how quickly he adapts to a completely new system and new teammates remains a significant unknown.
Key Analysis
Avila possesses one of the most unorthodox skill sets in the country, thriving in Schertz's offense as a hub whose passing ability made him a dangerous weapon, particularly when feeding Saint Louis guards as cutters. Rebuilding an offense in Avila's image on the fly is likely untenable, which will force him to play more conventionally at TCU. Still, Avila shot 40% from three last season and is effective in the low post, so he should provide a jolt of offense to the Horned Frogs once he is officially cleared to play.