Donovan Dent and Skyy Clark among UCLA men’s basketball players suing NCAA for added eligibility

Two former UCLA Bruins, Donovan Dent and Skyy Clark, are listed among 25 athletes who have filed a lawsuit against the NCAA seeking what would effectively be an extra season of eligibility for the 2026-27 men’s basketball season, according to a report by On3 Sports’ Pete Nakos that was carried by Yahoo Sports on July 18, 2026. The lawsuit is described as being filed in California, and it targets the NCAA’s eligibility rules as the basis for the relief the athletes are requesting.

The NCAA’s eligibility framework matters because it determines how long student-athletes can compete at the Division I level and how eligibility limits interact with transfers. Over the past several years, college basketball has been reshaped by increased roster turnover and higher rates of transfers, while the NCAA’s eligibility policies remain a central constraint. A court order that broadens eligibility in a specific way, even if initially limited to the named plaintiffs, can quickly become a reference point for other athletes who are weighing their options.

Dent and Clark are former Bruins, which places their names in a program that has regularly been active on the transfer market and in recruiting. The report does not describe where they would play in 2026-27 if the lawsuit succeeds, focusing instead on their shared effort to obtain additional time to compete. For UCLA, the case is notable not only because of the school’s prominence, but because it underscores how the NCAA’s eligibility rules continue to drive decisions for players and programs during the transfer era.

The lawsuit, as described in the reporting, involves 25 athletes in total. That breadth suggests the plaintiffs are attempting to challenge eligibility restrictions on a scale larger than a single individual dispute. In practical terms, the number of plaintiffs can affect how the legal issues are framed and how aggressively the case is pursued, especially when multiple athletes argue that the NCAA’s eligibility limitations have harmed their ability to compete during their college careers.

In general terms, these types of NCAA eligibility lawsuits are aimed at obtaining relief from eligibility ceilings and constraints that can limit the number of seasons a player can participate in NCAA competition. The plaintiffs’ request for the 2026-27 season is especially time-sensitive because summer is when many programs finalize recruiting and roster construction for the upcoming year. Even before any court ruling, the filing can influence how players and teams think about risk, planning, and the possibility of changes to eligibility rules through litigation.

What to watch next is whether the lawsuit moves quickly through early court steps, and whether the NCAA responds with a legal challenge that could limit the case or delay any potential impact. For fans and programs, the key question is how any eligibility relief, if granted, would be applied, and whether it extends beyond the named athletes. Until there is a verified court order, the only confirmed detail remains that Dent and Clark are named among plaintiffs seeking an additional season of eligibility for 2026-27.