Vanderbilt Quarterback Diego Pavia Sues NCAA Mid-Season
11/09/2024 09:31 AM
Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia has become a fan favorite this college football season, and rightfully so. The talented quarterback from Albuquerque has the Commodores playing their best football in years.
Pavia has been a nightmare to defend through the air and on the ground. He enters this weekend with 1,677 passing yards, 563 rushing yards and 19 total touchdowns. Last month, he had a flawless performance in Vanderbilt's upset win over Alabama.
If you're wondering why Pavia is trending on social media this weekend, just know it has nothing to do with this Saturday's game between Vanderbilt and South Carolina.
The reason Pavia is making headlines is because he filed a lawsuit against the NCAA. He's seeking a temporary restraining order from the NCAA because he's currently being blocked from playing next season due to his attendance at junior college in 2020 and 2021.
"Athletes playing football outside of the NCAA monopoly have no meaningful opportunity to profit off their name, image, or likeness," Pavia's complaint states, via On3. "Even so, JUCO Eligibility Limitation Bylaws restrict the ability of athletes who begin their college football careers in junior colleges from having the same opportunity to profit from NIL as students who enter an NCAA institution as freshmen.
"Specifically, the JUCO Eligibility Bylaws limit athletes who begin their college careers at junior colleges to only two or three seasons of NCAA Division I football, as opposed to the four seasons of competition (and NIL Compensation opportunities) available to all other NCAA Division I football players."
Pavia played eight games during the 2020 season and 12 games during the 2021 season while at New Mexico Military Institute. He didn't receive an FBS offer coming out of high school.
In 2022, Pavia joined New Mexico State and quickly became the school's starting quarterback. He played one more season with the Aggies before taking his talents to Vanderbilt.
Will the NCAA allow Pavia to suit up for the 2025 season? We'll find out soon enough.
Related: Vanderbilt Made Program History With Upset Win Over Auburn
