Diego Pavia scores big victory against NCAA in eligibility battle
Aug 31, 2024; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Vanderbilt Commodores quarterback Diego Pavia (2) celebrates the win against the Virginia Tech Hokies during the second half at FirstBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images
Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia is getting another year of eligibility, at least for the time being, in a legal battle that could have big repercussions for the NCAA.
Pavia won a preliminary injunction from the U.S. District Court of Middle Tennessee on Wednesday, which will grant him another year of eligibility. The Vanderbilt quarterback had argued that his two seasons of junior college should not count against his NCAA eligibility.
Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia's motion for a preliminary injunction that would allow him to play in 2025 has been GRANTED. pic.twitter.com/4zjIjBMWhs
— Sam C. Ehrlich (@samcehrlich) December 18, 2024
The NCAA will inevitably challenge this ruling, so Pavia is not in the clear. If upheld, however, this would have significant ramifications going forward. Pavia filed an antitrust suit against the NCAA in November, arguing that he did not receive a “reasonable opportunity to profit from NIL” while playing for New Mexico Military Institute in 2020 and 2021. JUCO rules are more restrictive regarding NIL benefits than NCAA rules, and Pavia argued that the NCAA’s “monopoly” and the fact that JUCO seasons count against NCAA eligibility rules combined to deprive him of the same opportunities available to other players that received their four full seasons of eligibility at Division I schools.
Previously, junior college seasons did count against a player’s NCAA eligibility after they transfer to a Division I school, but this ruling could change that if it were to become the new precedent.
Pavia spent two years at New Mexico State before transferring to Vanderbilt in 2024, which was supposed to be his final year of eligibility. He became an overnight celebrity after leading the Commodores to an upset win over Alabama, and a number of NIL opportunities quickly followed. He will have the chance to play one more year for Vanderbilt if this ruling is upheld.
