MORGANTOWN — RaeQuan Battle’s fight with the NCAA for immediate eligibility has reached a third stage, according to WVU men’s basketball coach Josh Eilert.
In his postgame press conference following Saturday’s 66-60 victory against Drexel, Eilert said the school has submitted Battle’s eligibility case back to the NCAA under the organization’s reconsideration clause.
“You can bring new information to the table and try to ask for a reconsideration,” Eilert said. “Reconsideration is in play. It’s up to them what they do with it.”
According to NCAA documents, the reconsideration stage for an eligibility case can only happen “if new information is presented which was not reasonably available at the time of the original decision.”
In the request, WVU must provide an explanation as to why the new information was not originally available and only the new information will be considered, meaning the details in Battle’s previous appeals will not be reviewed again by the NCAA.
That information has already been reviewed by the NCAA and then by an appeal board, who both ruled against WVU’s request for a waiver.
Battle needs a waiver in order to play this season, because he is a two-time transfer who has yet to earn a college degree.
His career began at the University of Washington, and he then used his one free transfer to play at Montana State.
He played two seasons at both schools, meaning Battle has just one season of eligibility remaining, although he still has a redshirt available to him.
Eilert provided no details on what the “new” information was or why it wasn’t submitted to the NCAA in the first place.
This case is not connected to the suit Battle brought against the NCAA on Friday, which states the NCAA’s transfer rules have affected his NIL earnings.
It’s also not connected to the multi-state case against the NCAA brought on by seven states, including West Virginia, that challenges the NCAA’s process in determining eligibility.
That case is also seeking an injunction on the NCAA’s decision to deny Battle his eligibility.
“I wish I did,” Eilert said when asked if he’s been given any timeline on how soon any decisions could be made by the courts or the reconsideration process. “These things always seem to drag out longer. You think you’re going to get a quick answer from the initial waiver to the appeal to the reconsideration.
“Everything is taking a way longer time than I expected. I hope we get some great news and I think it’s important for them to get this one right.”
If the multi-state case against the NCAA does get an immediate injunction on Battle’s appeal, WVU could still be in a tough spot.
Technically, a court of law could give WVU the O.K. to play Battle through an injunction, but that wouldn’t necessarily make the guard eligible.
If WVU played Battle, and then the courts ruled favorably for the NCAA in the lawsuit, the NCAA could then penalize WVU by making the school forfeit all games Battle played in, as well as penalizing the school for using an ineligible player.
Battle’s eligibility for next season could also come into question.
