Auburn’s newest basketball signee is taking the NCAA to court, with Mantas Rubštavičius filing a lawsuit in Lee County on Wednesday in an effort to secure eligibility for the 2026-27 season.
The complaint seeks a temporary restraining order and injunction that would clear the former professional player to suit up for the Tigers this season. According to the filing obtained by AL.com, Rubštavičius left his team in the Lithuanian Basketball League and finalized financial aid and revenue sharing agreements with Auburn in April and early May, then paid back money to his Lithuanian club.
The case centers on a later NCAA guidance update that, in May, put more scrutiny on players who had competed in certain professional leagues. Rubštavičius’ lawsuit says the organization had typically ruled such players eligible without issue in previous years. The complaint includes the NCAA guidance as an exhibit and says staff should weigh the full picture of a player’s pro experience, including how long he played and the quality of the league, when deciding eligibility.
The filing says Rubštavičius went through every administrative appeal available and was denied one last time by the NCAA on Sept. 29.
“The NCAA’s rule change is irrational given the current state of college athletics,” Rubštavičius’ lawsuit reads. “The NCAA permits NIL compensation and direct institutional payments to Division I student-athletes.
“It has also cleared domestic athletes with far more extensive professional experience than Rubštavičius, including athletes who played dozens of NBA G-League games and signed million-dollar-plus professional contracts, without eligibility consequences.”
Auburn said it has already notified both the SEC and NCAA about the filing. In a statement, the school said, “We are aware of the court filing made by Mantas Rubštavičius and have informed both the SEC and NCAA,” and added, “Auburn supports Mantas’ right to seek clarity regarding his eligibility through the legal process.”
The statement continued, “Auburn also continues to fully support the SEC’s recent rule on former professionals returning to college sports, which we do not believe is implicated in any way under Mantas’ alleged facts.”
Auburn announced Rubštavičius in June and said at the time that he had spent eight years playing in the Lithuanian and Australian pro leagues, starting in 2018. Tigers coach Steven Pearl praised the signee in the release, saying, “We are excited to welcome Mantas to our program,” and calling him “one of Europe’s most accomplished young players” with “a unique combination of size, shooting ability, versatility and basketball IQ that allows him to impact the game in a variety of ways.”
Rubštavičius was one of two international additions Auburn made this offseason. French center Narcisse Ngoy was cleared last week.
His lawsuit asks for a temporary restraining order that would make him eligible until a hearing is held, along with temporary and permanent injunctions allowing him to play the entire season.
The motion for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction is set for Oct. 16 at 9:30 a.m. at the Lee County Justice Center.
Auburn opens exhibition play Wednesday against Florida State at the Boutwell Auditorium in Birmingham. Last week, Pearl said Auburn “will only play guys that are cleared through the NCAA,” in that game.
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