This afternoon for Louisville Basketball has been anything but normal. In what began as another Friday now leaves two players currently out of the picture for the 2026-27 season.
Seth Trimble Ruled Ineligible
This morning, The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals granted the NCAA a stay of the Colorado ruling that gave Class of 2022 athletes who exhausted four seasons of eligibility an extra fifth year. This means that Class of 2022 players can now only be eligible through an injunction from a state court.
Players who had already secured separate TROs or injunctions (like former Missouri Tiger Mark Mitchell) are not impacted by this order. Mitchell, and the others involved in the Jefferson County case, received a temporary restraining order that makes them currently eligible.
However, Trimble was relying on the now dead Colorado ruling, and will now need to pursue an injunction at the state level to become eligible.
What is a Stay?
Per the Legal Information Institute (Cornell) – ” (A) Stay is an action taken by a court to stop a legal proceeding or the actions of a party. A stay most commonly is issued by a court as a stay of proceedings in order to stop litigation from continuing, and they normally are only temporary. A court will do this for many reasons such as if there is another proceeding occurring that will affect the present one or if a party must do something before the proceeding can continue.”
Can Trimble Play for Louisville?
The simple answer is it’s possible. Trimble’s career is not officially over yet. While he is currently ineligible (currently being a key word), he can still get involved in a state case that would grant him an injunction to play. It may take some time for the entire process to play out, but there is still a path for Trimble to play this coming season. The Colorado case is also still waiting on a final ruling, but that may take drag into the season. Current reports indicate Trimble is planning to pursue the state case route.
London Johnson Dismissed From Team
As if the day couldn’t get any more chaotic, it was announced that guard London Johnson would be dismissed from the team.
An official release from the University of Louisville stated that Johnson was dismissed due to a violation of team rules.
Johnson redshirted in 2025-26 after joining the roster last December. In mid-January, Pat Kelsey announced that because of injuries to the backcourt, Johnson would be activated and available to play. However, only a few days later, they reversed course and preserved his redshirt. He came to Louisville by way of the G-League, where he played three seasons: two for the Ignite and one between the Maine Red Claws and Cleveland Charge. Today, his Cardinal career ended before he could even suit up.
With the season looming, expect Kelsey and the University to move quickly to pursue eligibility for Seth Trimble. But with all things NCAA related, it may not be smooth sailing.
More on the Colorado Stay here: