Vanderbilt’s star QB granted eligibility for 2025 season following lawsuit
Vandy’s Diego Pavia has made headlines all year, especially after upsetting the Alabama Crimson Tide — however recently it’s been in regards to playing another year of college football.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - One of the key contributors behind Vanderbilt football’s successful 2024 season now has the opportunity to play for the Commodores again in 2025.
Vandy’s Diego Pavia has made headlines all year, especially after upsetting the Alabama Crimson Tide — however recently it’s been in regards to playing another year of college football.
Pavia filed a suit against the NCAA back in November requesting a restraining order arguing against the NCAA’s eligibility rules that prevent him from playing college football in the 2025-26 season.
The quarterback behind Vandy’s successful season argued that the NCAA’s bylaws regarding a redshirt rule involving junior college eligibility (which he also claims forced him and other athletes to lose out on NIL money) violates the antitrust law. At the time of the suit, he pushed for the temporary restraining order due to the urgency behind potential NIL contracts for the 2025 season and that collectives would move on to other athletes.
Now, his motion for a preliminary injunction has been granted in the U.S. District Court of Middle Tennessee arguing against the NCAA’s redshirt rule over JUCO eligibility that it violates antitrust law. This ruling will allow Pavia to return to collegiate football action in 2025.
Pending before the Court is Plaintiff Diego Pavia’s (“Pavia”) Motion for Preliminary Injunction seeking to enjoin Defendant National Collegiate Athletic Association (“NCAA”) from enforcing certain bylaws governing eligibility to preclude Pavia from playing in a fourth year of NCAA Division I college football on grounds that enforcement of the eligibility rules violates Section 1 of the Sherman Antitrust Act. (Doc. No. 8). Defendant NCAA filed a response in opposition (Doc. No. 30), and Plaintiff filed a Reply (Doc. No. 33). The Court held a hearing on December 3, 2024.
For the reasons stated herein, Plaintiff’s motion for preliminary injunction will be GRANTED.
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While the dust settles on the excitement of the potential return to Vandy for another season, the NCAA could still challenge the injunction.
Pavia previously played two seasons at New Mexico Military Institute, a junior college, and two seasons at New Mexico State before eventually transferring to Vanderbilt.
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