Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia is eligible to play another season of college football in 2025 after being granted a temporary injunction, according to a court ruling released Wednesday.
Pavia’s request for a temporary restraining order that would allow him to play a sixth season was denied by a federal judge last month. However, the Wednesday ruling by U.S. District Judge William Campbell of the Middle District of Tennessee grants Pavia a temporary injunction and that sixth year he has been seeking.
Pavia played two years at New Mexico Military Institute before transferring to New Mexico State, but argued that the NCAA’s rules on junior college participation counting against eligibility violates antitrust law outlined by the Sherman Act.
Pavia’s representation argued that, in addition to the COVID-season waiver afforded to athletes after playing in 2020, the quarterback’s NCAA clock should not have started during his junior college time. It also claimed that Pavia stands to earn more than $1 million in NIL compensation should he play in 2025.
Pavia passed for 2,133 yards and added another 716 on the ground while accounting for 23 total touchdowns this season. His highlight was leading the Commodores to an upset win over then-No.1 Alabama on Oct. 5.
While he is in line to potentially return as Vanderbilt’s quarterback next season, Pavia still likely will have to wait out a legal process over the next few months before it becomes official.
“Obviously, the unknown always presents anxiousness,” Commodores coach Clark Lea told 247Sports. “Obviously, we want to have Diego here. We want him to be a part of this. he wants to be a part of this. There will be a huge celebration the day we get that final thumbs up. If, for whatever reason, the narrative changes that way, we’ve primed ourselves to be ready for that, too.”
The Tennessean reported that Wednesday’s ruling prevents the NCAA from enforcing it’s “Rule of Restitution” against Vanderbilt or any school that Pavia might play for in 2025 that would force a school to vacate wins if the ruling is later overturned.
“Diego is very thankful for the work of the Court and its staff in expediting this ruling,” Pavia’s attorney, Ryan Downton, said in a release sent to the Tennessean. “The NCAA has not yet adjusted to the NIL era and continues to impose unfair restrictions on college athletes. The Court’s ruling is another step in leveling the playing field to allow college athletes to share in the billions of dollars earned due to their labor.
“While the ruling is limited to Pavia, we believe it may open the door for other former junior college players to obtain an additional year of eligibility without filing a lawsuit.”
