Utah Valley Basketball gets new court injunction ahead of WAC tournament
Friday at 11: 00 a. m. ET, utah valley basketball received a fresh legal boost when a Utah court granted the university’s motion for a preliminary injunction, clearing the Wolverines to play in the Western Athletic Conference men’s and women’s basketball tournaments next week in Las Vegas. The timing matters because a prior court order covered only a limited window, requiring the school to seek another stay to keep its postseason eligibility intact.
Utah Valley Basketball injunction clears WAC tournament participation in Las Vegas
Utah Valley University confirmed Friday that the preliminary injunction was granted in Utah’s Fourth District Court, allowing the Wolverines to participate in the WAC men’s and women’s basketball tournaments in Las Vegas. The ruling arrives one day after head coach Todd Phillips and the Utah Valley men’s basketball team clinched a second consecutive WAC regular-season championship.
On the court, Utah Valley clinched the regular-season title with a 92-88 road win over Southern Utah after Isaac Davis scored a career-high 28 points. Phillips said after Thursday’s game that the group had relied on new contributors this season and credited the team’s performance for earning the championship.
Fourth District Court timeline forces UVU back to court now
The immediate trigger for Friday’s decision was the time limit attached to the earlier relief Utah Valley secured. The university had already obtained a temporary restraining order against the WAC while the sides contest a lawsuit tied to an unpaid exit fee, but that injunction covered a window of up to 14 days. With the conference tournaments approaching, the school needed an additional court order to protect its ability to compete in the postseason.
, the university said it was pleased with the ruling granting its motion for a preliminary injunction and described the outcome as protecting student-athletes’ rights to participate in postseason opportunities earned during the season. The statement also said the ruling reinstates broadcast rights, allowing athletes, teams, coaches and fans to receive coverage and visibility.
At the time of the first injunction, Judge Denise M. Porter of Utah’s Fourth District Court wrote in an 11-page summary judgment that the university was “likely to prevail upon its claims” and entitled to equitable relief to reinstate conference participation while the fee issue is litigated, citing the need to prevent irreparable harm.
Western Athletic Conference exit-fee dispute and the Feb. 3 lawsuit
The legal fight stems from the conference’s lawsuit filed Feb. 3 in a Tarrant County, Texas, court, alleging Utah Valley was refusing to pay a “contractually obligated exit fee in the amount of $1 million. ” The conference is rebranding as the United Athletic Conference effective July 1 of this year.
Utah Valley previously used court relief to remain eligible for conference competition while the dispute proceeds. That earlier restraining order allowed the Wolverines to participate in the WAC indoor track and field championships and to broadcast their games through the conference’s media partner at +. The decision also allowed Utah Valley athletes and coaches to remain eligible for postseason awards within the conference.
Friday’s news keeps the focus on the court as the Wolverines play out the end of the regular season. Utah Valley improved to 23-7 overall and 13-4 in WAC play with one game remaining Saturday at Utah Tech. Tipoff is scheduled for 10: 00 p. m. ET in St. George.
The next confirmed milestone is that Saturday night regular-season finale at Utah Tech at 10: 00 p. m. ET, with the WAC men’s and women’s basketball tournaments set for next week in Las Vegas under the terms of the preliminary injunction.
