Detroit's Orlando Lovejoy wins lawsuit for extra year, transfer coming
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DETROIT — Former Detroit Mercy basketball star Orlando Lovejoy is the among the latest batch of college athletes to score a legal victory in a bid to receive an extra year of eligibility.
Lovejoy was one of 40 college athletes who have been granted a temporary restraining order by a circuit court judge in Kentucky. The decision by Judge Brian C. Edwards makes Lovejoy, a highly decorated point guard, immediately eligible for a fifth season. Where that fifth season will take place remains to be seen.
His representatives from CGL Agency told The News on Wednesday that Lovejoy plans to announce a transfer destination soon, possibly as early as this week. He stands to earn six figures on the NIL market.
Kentucky football player Alex Afari, Seth Trimble, and others have both been added to the TRO that was granted in the Kentucky state court 5 in 5 case.
— Mit Winter (@WinterSportsLaw) September 2, 2026
Afari is currently eligible to play for Kentucky.
Trimble is currently eligible to play 🏀 for Louisville. https://t.co/qNXJ4I5oCP
Lovejoy, at this point, can't return to Detroit Mercy, which has maxed out its roster with 15 scholarship players.
Lovejoy, 23, was a four-time all-state selection in high school at Summit Academy before playing his first two years of college basketball at Eastern Michigan. He transferred to Detroit Mercy, where he played the last two seasons, earning first-team all-Horizon League honors in 2025-26. In 2025-26, Lovejoy, 6-foot-3 and 190 pounds, started all 31 games and was top-10 in the Horizon League in scoring (15.8), assists (3.7), steals (1.6) and free-throw percentage (89.2).
Lovejoy also led Detroit Mercy to the Horizon League championship game, in which the Titans lost to Wright State, 66-63. The Titans led at halftime and were seeking their first NCAA Tournament since 2012.
Hundreds of college athletes have filed dozens of lawsuits against the NCAA over the past several weeks, seeking the extra year of eligibility, challenging the NCAA's June decision to give athletes a five-year window to play five seasons. The NCAA's rule shut out the high-school class of 2022 from receiving a fifth year.
Michigan's Roddy Gayle Jr. was among players who have received a TRO. Michigan has kept a roster spot open for him. Also receiving a fifth season through a court-ordered TRO was former Oakland star point guard Brody Robinson. Oakland kept a roster spot open for him in case he was able and willing to return, but he has transferred to Creighton.
Oakland still has a roster spot availabile.
@tonypaul1984
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Detroit's Orlando Lovejoy wins lawsuit for extra year, transfer coming