Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia has rocketed to college football stardom this season, and now he’s suing the NCAA for two more years of eligibility.
Per ESPN’s Mark Schlabach, Pavia filed a federal lawsuit against the college athletics governing body Friday, alleging it was violating the Sherman Antitrust Act by reducing the number of years junior college athletes are able to play at Division I institutions.
“The JUCO Eligibility Limitation Bylaws neither promote competition nor benefit college athletes with respect to their impact on persons who attend junior colleges before transferring to NCAA schools,” the lawsuit says.
In layman’s terms, Pavia is alleging the NCAA’s bylaws unfairly stifle junior college transfers from being able to profit from their name, image and likeness (NIL).
Pavia, a senior from Albuquerque, New Mexico, played two seasons at New Mexico Military Institute before transferring to New Mexico State in 2022.
In 2024, he’s led Vanderbilt to its 10th bowl-eligible season in program history — including a 40-35 upset over then-No. 1 Alabama in October.
Now that Pavia has become a more well-known player, he’s understandably looking to capitalize on his popularity.
“Because Pavia cannot relive his short college career, the harm inflicted by the JUCO Eligibility Limitations Bylaws is irreparable and ongoing,” the lawsuit says. “Pavia brings this action to put a stop to the unjustified anticompetitive restriction on universities who seek to compete for college athletes, and to restore freedom of economic opportunity for himself and other college football players.”
The lawsuit is also challenging “the NCAA’s bylaws that start a player’s eligibility clock once he enters a two-year school, even if he doesn’t play, as well as its redshirt rule and four-year eligibility limit.”
It’s another mountain of paperwork and litigation added to the NCAA’s growing problems with other NIL and revenue-sharing cases.
Although, this case appears to just be narrowly tailored to adding eligibility years to players like Pavia’s careers. In total, Pavia has only played three seasons at the Division I level but has played five seasons of college football overall.
By suing, he’s trying to get additional eligibility (because he’s not exactly NFL material and would graduate). If successful, he’d be able to potentially get more NIL money and join in the revenue sharing. If his case succeeds, it means other JUCO players like himself would get the opportunity for more years and more money.
