Clemson football WR Tristan Smith sues NCAA for extra year of eligibility

CLEMSON — Clemson football wide receiver Tristan Smith filed a lawsuit against the NCAA on Jan. 21 to gain an extra year of eligibility.

Smith is seeking a declaration that that his two seasons spent at junior college do not count against his NCAA eligibility and he is eligible to compete for Clemson in 2026.

In the complaint, Smith argues the NCAA “refused to waive its five-year rule” as it pertains to his two seasons spent at a junior college despite “granting similar relief to other athletes in comparable situations.”

He added not playing in 2026 will make him miss out on between $300,000 to $600,000 in name, image and likeness (NIL) money and revenue sharing.

“It never has been about the money,” Smith posted on social media. “I came from a Juco where I didn’t receive any money my first two years of college. It’s about wanting to play football one last year for the tigers. I’m only asking for a 5th year. A year to grow in my faith and become a better man and player.”

Smith, who just completed his senior season with Clemson in 2025, is represented by Darren Heitner, who helped former South Carolina running back Rahsul Faison gain an extra year of eligibility last season.

“Proud to represent Clemson WR Tristan Smith against the NCAA as he seeks an eligibility extension,” Heitner wrote on social media. “The NCAA arbitrarily denied his waiver, counting JUCO years against the 5-Year Rule, despite providing waivers to many other players with JUCO experience.”

In the complaint, filed in Pickens County, South Carolina, Clemson put in a waiver request to the NCAA for Smith to gain an extra year of eligibility in November, expressing academic challenges that contributed to the wideout going to a junior college.

The waiver highlighted that Smith “only used two junior college seasons of NCAA competition within a five-year period beginning in fall 2024 and requested an eligibility extension consistent with precedents where JUCO years were not counted against the NCAA eligibility clock” like former Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia.

The five-year rule states NCAA athletes must complete their four years of eligibility within five years of first enrolling at any college. However, Pavia received an injunction in December 2024 that granted him an extra year of eligibility.

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But the NCAA denied Clemson’s waiver. The complaint said the NCAA cited “a Division I Cabinet determination from October 22, 2025, to maintain existing eligibility rules for the remainder of the 2025-2026 academic year and the 2026-2027 rosters, without regard to the specific circumstances of Mr. Smith’s case or the precedents set in granting relief to athletes like Diego Pavia and many others.”

NCAA provided a blanket eligibility waiver in 2025-26 to any athletes who started their careers at the junior college level and would have otherwise had their careers end. However, that did not extend into the 2026-27 academic year.

This led to Smith hiring legal counsel and filing a lawsuit against the NCAA to “prevent irreparable harm” after the NCAA’s “lack of response” on its appeal denial and “the urgency of Clemson’s roster decisions for spring 2026 practices and the 2026-2027 season.”

Smith’s lawyers filed a motion for a temporary restraining order that would prevent the NCAA from enforcing its eligibility rules and allow the receiver to participate in Clemson team activities, including spring practice, while the lawsuit played out.

That motion was denied, per Pickens County court records, as the presiding judge wants a formal hearing.

Tristan Smith stats at Clemson

Smith, 22, was one of three transfer players to join the Tigers this season. He spent two seasons at Hutchinson Community College in Kansas, recording 16 catches for 231 yards and two touchdowns over 17 games. He transferred to Southeast Missouri State, an FCS program, last year, catching 76 passes for 934 yards and six touchdowns.

He transferred to Clemson in 2025, recording 24 catches for 239 yards and one touchdown in 13 games and four starts.

Derrian Carter covers Clemson athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at DCarter@usatodayco.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DerrianCarter00

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Clemson WR Tristan Smith sues NCAA for extra year of eligibility

Clemson football WR Tristan Smith sues NCAA for extra year of eligibility

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