Diego Pavia successfully gains another year of eligibility after suing NCAA; How courtroom victory helps Texas A&M football
Every Texas A&M football fan is well aware that we live in a turbulent time for the sport we all know and love. The Aggies have been right in the epicenter of several controversies that have to do with some of the new norms in college football, usually having to do with unsubstantiated rumors around NIL.
Another new frontier has to do with player eligibility. One of the things that precipitated some of the transfer portal madness we've seen is the NCAA's abrogation of the eligibility penalty for undergraduate transfer; you no longer have to sit out a year when you switch schools before graduation.
Now, that boundary is being pushed in other ways. Vanderbilt QB Diego Pavia, who spent time at the JUCO level, had petitioned the NCAA for an extra year of eligibility, as 2024 would have been his final season, but his original petition was denied.
However, he didn't stop. He sued the NCAA to get this year of eligibility, and, as was announced yesterday, he was granted the injunction he sought.
Though this ruling affects only Pavia at the moment, those who have studied the case have been forthright: this is a ruling that invites others to take the same tack. Other players who have spent years in JUCO could regain years of eligibility in this way.
Huge news from the government affecting NJCAA players. Your juco years don’t count against your D1 years. Can go juco 2 years and play and then play 4 years D1. Love it !!!
— David Williams (@Dwilliams1515) December 18, 2024
And, as it just so happens, one of the most key players for Texas A&M football is a guy who spent a few years in JUCO. That man is CB Will Lee, who spent much of last year playing at an all-SEC level.
Lee is already slated to return for 2025, but that would have exhausted his eligibility. Now, if he decides to return for 2026, this precedent would grant that wish.
This could change a lot of the calculus for JUCO recruiting in general going forward; those who play two years at that level could essentially be considered in the same way as incoming freshmen as far as eligibility goes. The ripple effects here are no doubt massive, but in a pretty direct way, the Ags are sure to benefit.