SPOKANE, Wash. — Gonzaga basketball player Tyon Grant-Foster remains locked in a legal battle with the NCAA over his eligibility to play this season, with his case now moving to federal court after a scheduled county court hearing was canceled.
Grant-Foster, who was expected to be a significant contributor to this year’s Gonzaga team, believes he has one year of eligibility remaining despite beginning his college career in 2018. His legal team argues that only three of his previous seasons should count toward NCAA eligibility limits due to medical issues and pandemic-related waivers.
The player’s complex college journey began at Indian Hills Community College, where he played for two years. In 2020-21, he transferred to Kansas and played 22 games before moving to DePaul.
However, Grant-Foster collapsed during his first game at DePaul due to a heart problem, missing the remainder of that season and the entire following year.
Since Grant-Foster played only a half in that first DePaul game, his attorneys contend those two seasons shouldn’t count against his eligibility. The NCAA has also issued waivers granting extra eligibility years to players who competed in junior college and those who played during the 2020 pandemic season.
After recovering his health in 2023, Grant-Foster transferred to Grand Canyon University, where he played for two seasons before arriving at Gonzaga.
Gonzaga head coach Mark Few, who had planned to attend the originally scheduled county court hearing, expressed support for his player.
“He’s a wonderful, wonderful guy with a really, really tough, sad story that can be rectified here and hopefully the right thing will be done,” Few said.
Team members have also rallied around Grant-Foster during the uncertainty. Forward Graham Ike described encountering the player recently and offering encouragement.
“Last night, I saw him in the elevator and that’s when he told me. I gave him a big hug and I told him, ‘just know that we’re with you.’ We got his back and whatever he needs from us we can be there for support,” Ike said.
Grant-Foster expressed frustration with the prolonged legal process in an Instagram story post, writing:
“This ain’t fair at all. Keep dragging it along and prolonging for what? What am I supposed to do after this? It’s too late for anything else.”
The federal court hearing is currently scheduled for Nov. 21, which would cause Grant-Foster to miss at least the first five games of Gonzaga’s season.
His legal team has filed a motion requesting an earlier hearing date to potentially resolve the matter sooner.
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