Iowa State made it official on Monday: Tamin Lipsey is back.
The program confirmed the news on social media, posting an image of Lipsey’s white No. 3 jersey hanging in the locker room. For Iowa State, that image carried real weight after Lipsey won an injunction last week that opens the door for another year of eligibility.
Judge Kara Krothe granted the injunction on Wednesday, clearing the way for the Ames native and three-time All-Big 12 guard to return to college basketball and suit up for Iowa State in the 2026-27 season.
Lipsey’s name first surfaced in the lawsuit on Monday, September 14, as part of a larger group of plaintiffs seeking legal relief from the NCAA’s new age-based eligibility rule. That policy excluded 2022 high school graduates, and the challenge mirrors roughly 80 cases involving about 450 athletes across the country who are pursuing a fifth year of eligibility.
The NCAA’s summer rule change gives players five years of eligibility beginning at their 19th birthday or high school graduation, whichever comes first. But the rule has already run into legal resistance, with courts agreeing with plaintiffs that it has been applied in an arbitrary and unfair way to the 2022 class.
On the court, Lipsey just delivered the best season of his career. In 2025-26, he averaged 13.5 points, 3.9 rebounds, a career-high 5.1 assists and a Big 12-leading 2.3 steals per game.
His return matters immediately for Iowa State’s backcourt. The Cyclones are already dealing with a shoulder injury to projected starter Killyan Toure, who is expected to miss at least the start of the season and possibly until February. That leaves Iowa State leaning on JaQuan Johnson and Ryan Prather Jr., the only other guards on the roster with college experience.
Prather has been dealing with a hip issue since the summer, while second-year guard Jamarion Batemon returns after limited on-ball chances as a freshman. Incoming first-year guard Yusef Gray Jr. is also in the mix, though he missed the first half of the summer while recovering from a shoulder injury he suffered during his senior year of high school.
Lipsey is also working back from a knee injury he suffered during NBA Summer League play, so he’ll need time to get fully healthy before Iowa State opens the season against Memphis. His Summer League stint does not block him from returning to the Big 12 because his Exhibit 10 deal with the Pacers was never executed.
Even with the announcement, the legal fight may not be finished. The NCAA is expected to file a formal appeal in Lipsey’s case, and it could also seek a stay. If either move succeeds, his eligibility for this season could be thrown into doubt again.
For now, though, Lipsey is eligible, and Iowa State has him back.
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Tamin Lipsey Changes Everything For Iowa State At The Perfect Time
Iowa State got the kind of offseason boost every program hopes for when Tamin Lipsey was granted a legal fifth year of eligibility and will be back in the Cyclones backcourt. His return matters even more because the team is already dealing with an injury to guard Killyan Toure, making experienced perimeter play a priority as the roster takes shape.
Lipsey brings more than familiarity. Last season, he averaged 13.5 points, 5.1 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 2.3 steals per game, production that touches nearly every part of the floor and gives Iowa State a steadying presence on both ends. For a team trying to absorb one setback while keeping its upside intact, getting him back changes the outlook in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]