Clemson WR Tristan Smith still waiting on NCAA eligibility ruling

Tristan Smith will have to keep waiting to hear the final decision on whether he will play for the Tigers in 2026 or not.

After a June 8 court hearing in Smith’s case against the NCAA, there was no immediate ruling on whether the Tigers receiver will be eligible for the 2026 season. According to Derrian Carter, Judge Salvini said she expects to have a decision “by the end of the week.”

Smith is fighting for an extra season of eligibility after the NCAA denied his waiver request. His case centers around junior college eligibility rules and his argument that the NCAA has applied those rules inconsistently. Smith has also argued that being denied another season would cost him the chance to continue his college career, along with potential NIL and revenue-sharing opportunities.

College football has already seen multiple eligibility battles spill into courtrooms, with players such as Trinidad Chambliss and Brendan Sorsby receiving legal wins that allowed them to continue pursuing another season. Those cases are not exact copies of Smith’s, but they do point to the same uncomfortable question hanging over the sport: how much authority does the NCAA actually have when eligibility decisions are increasingly being challenged, delayed, or blocked in court?

Smith’s return would give the Tigers another experienced receiver in the room after he caught 24 passes for 239 yards and a touchdown in his first season at the FBS level. Before arriving at Clemson, he posted 76 catches for 934 yards and six touchdowns at Southeast Missouri.

Smith has made it clear publicly that he appreciates the support from the Clemson family, posting before the hearing that he was thankful for the continued prayers and encouragement. Fans responded with messages of support as he awaited the next step in his case.

Smith’s case has gone further than many Clemson fans probably expected, especially in a college football landscape where courts are becoming more involved in eligibility decisions by the month. The judge’s ruling is expected by the end of the week, and until then, Smith, Clemson, and everyone following the case are stuck in the same place they have been for months. Waiting on an answer.

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