Mizzou DT seeking temporary restraining order against Mizzou so that he’s eligible to play for Mizzou
By Andrew Olson
Published:
Sterling Webb is taking an interesting legal step days before the 2026 season opener. The Mizzou defensive tackle is seeking a temporary restraining order against Mizzou so that he is eligible to play for Mizzou this season.
Sports law attorney Mit Winter believes that seeking a TRO against a player’s current program is a first in the 5-in-5 legal battles that are taking place in courtrooms across the country. After previously being granted a TRO against the NCAA, Webb has filed a motion seeking a TRO against Mizzou. Eli Hoff of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch was first to report the legal filing.
I think this is a first in the 5 in 5 cases.
— Mit Winter (@WinterSportsLaw) September 1, 2026
Mizzou’s Sterling Webb has asked the court that granted his TRO against the NCAA to also enjoin Mizzou from declaring him ineligible, not letting him practice/play, and conditioning payment of rev share $ on those grounds. https://t.co/lnq9bIdzNa
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The news perplexed many fans and college football observers on social media. Webb has been with the Mizzou football team throughout the past month and is listed on the Tigers’ 2-deep depth chart ahead of Thursday’s season-opener against Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
The reasons for the TRO request are laid out in the filing, as noted by Matthew Sanders of ABC 17 KMIZ. Webb’s filing acknowledges he has a roster spot and he does not seek damages. His concerns with Mizzou, however, involve the determination of his eligibility and the program potentially denying revenue sharing or NIL compensation.
“Under the NCAA’s own Bylaws, it is the member institution, and not the NCAA, that certifies eligibility and withholds an athlete from competition,” Webb’s lawyer, Andrew Blackwell, writes in the motion.
The hearing for Webb’s motion on the TRO is set for Wednesday morning.
Andrew writes about sports to fund his love of live music and collection of concert posters. He strongly endorses the Hall of Fame campaign of Fred Taylor.
