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A University of North Carolina men’s basketball player is now ineligible after the Tennessee Court of Appeals has issued an order staying the lawsuit that gave him a fifth season of eligibility.
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Cameron Fens, a North Carolina forward transfer addition via South Dakota, filled the Tar Heels’ last open roster spot by committing to first-year UNC coach Michael Malone’s program on Aug. 8. Fens is a member of the 2022 class that had not been grandfathered into the NCAA’s five-in-five ruling, but he had earned eligibility via an order of temporary injunctive relief on July 31, 2026, according to a case filing document reviewed by the News & Observer.
Yet now all athletes who gained eligibility in that case are ineligible pending the resolution of the appeal.
“The decisions reaffirm the importance of preserving a level playing field for the thousands of student-athletes and member schools across Division I that are competing under the membership’s rules,” NCAA Chief Legal Officer Scott Bearby said in a statement shared by ESPN’s Pete Thamel.
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A UNC men’s basketball spokesperson declined to comment on the ruling.
Fens was first-team All-Summit League last season with averages of 14.4 points and 8.7 rebounds a game for Coyotes, and added experience to a young forward room for the Tar Heels late in the portal process.
The 7-footer is one of the three centers listed on the recently-released 2026-27 roster for UNC, joining a freshman who last played for FC Barcelona in Sayon Keita and sophomore forward Cade Bennerman. He was the sixth portal transfer and the 11th new addition to the program this offseason.
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