Auburn’s Thursday exhibition against Alabama in Birmingham will come without Mantas Rubštavičius.
The international signee’s status was pushed back by a delay in the lawsuit between Rubštavičius and the NCAA, leaving him unavailable for the game after a temporary restraining order hearing on Friday. Both sides were expected to submit briefs to Lee County Circuit Judge Jeff Tickal by the end of Tuesday, and the judge said he intended to rule before Thursday’s exhibition. The NCAA then filed its response to Rubštavičius’s motion for a temporary restraining order on Tuesday, while his attorney asked for an extension to the deadline for submitting his supplemental brief to Friday.
The case centers on whether Rubštavičius can compete for Auburn in the 2024-25 season. He has asked the court for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction that would allow him to play, according to the complaint filed in Lee County Circuit Court.
Rubštavičius, an international addition from Lithuania, committed to Tennessee in May, signing a revenue-share agreement with Auburn on April 23 and an NIL agreement on May 3, though it was announced in June. He previously played for Žalgiris Kaunas in the Lithuanian Basketball League, where he averaged 5.6 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game last season.
He began his pro career during the 2017-18 season and played on Lithuanian teams and on a New Zealand team in the National Basketball League. He is now suing the NCAA after he was denied eligibility to play for Auburn during the 2024-25 season.
After signing the agreements with Auburn, Rubštavičius obtained a visa in June, left Lithuania and his basketball club Žalgiris Kaunas and relocated to Lee County, according to the complaint. His departure from that club came before his contract ended, triggering a $100,000 buyout that he owes to the club, and he also left a $50,000 contract with the team.
The central issue in his recruitment and signing agreements with Auburn, which allegedly was before the NCAA announced new eligibility rules and guidelines, is the main crux of the case.
According to the complaint, the NCAA issued the 2024-25 Athletics Eligibility Certification Process Guidelines, also referred to in the complaint as the 2024-25 SAR Guidelines, on May 6. The guidelines state that eligibility will not be reinstated for “any prospective student-athlete who competed for a team in a league with minimum compensation exceeding actual and necessary expenses” according to the complaint.
The complaint argues that the rule change is “irrational given the current state of college athletics,” specifically the NCAA. It also claims the NCAA has cleared “domestic athletes with far more extensive professional experience than Rubštavičius, including athletes who played dozens of NBA G-League games.” The complaint says the “actual and necessary” expenses language should determine who may compete in a league that permits direct institutional payments is arbitrary.
Rubštavičius and his lawyer also argued that even with the new guidance, there were no “applicable bylaws” changed and that he had reason to believe he would be eligible under the previous rules.
“Without emergency relief, Rubštavičius will permanently lose the opportunity to compete during this season, together with the associated development, exposure, NCAA and revenue-share opportunities and the finite eligibility window that cannot be restored,” according to the complaint.
He also requested the court to “enjoin the NCAA’s Rule of Restitution,” which would otherwise prevent Auburn from permitting him to compete even under the court’s protection. If granted, that would stop the NCAA from enforcing any eligibility rules or sanctions for Rubštavičius playing in 2024-25.
Tickal said at the end of the hearing on Friday that there would be a preliminary injunction hearing scheduled for Nov. 4 and Nov. 5, presumably regardless of the judge’s ruling on the TRO. With the delay in filing the briefs, there has been no official filing setting that hearing, so it could change.
In Other News...
LSU Faces A Dangerous Road Test Auburn Is Built To Exploit
LSU heads to Auburn for an SEC matchup that already has the feel of a stress test for both sides. The Tigers are still carrying the energy from Auburns upset over Georgia, and both coaching staffs have acknowledged how hard it can be to keep that emotional edge once the next week arrives. For LSU, the setting matters almost as much as the opponent, because recent SEC road trips have been a problem and this one lands in a place where Auburn should have a crowd fully behind it.
The numbers point to LSU as the steadier team on paper, with advantages in several offensive and defensive categories, but the trip to Jordan-Hare has a way of shrinking those edges. Auburn does not need to be perfect at home to make life uncomfortable, especially when the atmosphere is already primed after a signature win. For LSU, the challenge is turning statistical superiority into a road performance, and for Auburn, it is about using the home-field surge before the emotional letdown has a chance to settle in. [Read more 🡒]
Auburn Is Giving Jordan-Hare An Extra Edge For LSU
Jordan-Hare Stadium is set to sound a little different for Auburns next home test. The university plans to amplify the crowd atmosphere for Saturdays matchup with No. 18 LSU by using microphones for the marching band and field-level speakers, a move aimed at turning an already charged setting into something even more difficult for the visitors to navigate.
It comes on the heels of Auburns upset of No. 1 Georgia, which only sharpened the anticipation around another major home stage. The LSU game is set for 11 a.m. Central on ABC, and with kickoff coming early in the day, Auburn is clearly looking for every possible edge to make Jordan-Hare feel as loud as it can from the start. [Read more 🡒]
Auburns Playoff Buzz Suddenly Feels Real After One Massive Win
Beating No. 1 Georgia as a hefty underdog changed the conversation around Auburn in a hurry, and now the Tigers are sitting at 4-2 with a lot more attention than they had a week ago. Under Alex Golesh, the season suddenly looks like more than a rebuilding job, because a win like that gives a team credibility, momentum and a reason to check the calendar a little differently.
The schedule ahead will decide whether the buzz turns into something sturdier, with LSU and Ole Miss looming as the next major tests. Auburns College Football Playoff path is still very much a scenario-based discussion rather than a finished product, but after knocking off the top team in the country, the door feels open enough to keep watching. [Read more 🡒]