As bowl season approaches, Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia is making headlines off the field as well.
Along with 26 other former junior college players, Pavia has filed a federal lawsuit seeking the chance to continue playing college football beyond the current NCAA eligibility limits, per Sportico.
The case, filed in Tennessee, asks a judge to temporarily block the NCAA from enforcing its existing rules while the lawsuit moves forward.
At the center of the dispute is how the NCAA counts eligibility for athletes who begin their careers at junior colleges. Under current regulations, players are limited to four total seasons of intercollegiate competition within a five-year window, and former JUCO athletes are typically capped at three seasons at the Division I level.
Pavia and his co-plaintiffs want that system changed. They argue that the eligibility clock should start when a player enrolls at an NCAA school—not when they first attend any collegiate institution, including junior colleges that are not NCAA members.
If granted, the change could allow some former JUCO players to compete in Division I college football through the 2026 or even 2027 seasons.
Pavia, now in his sixth year of college football, began his career at New Mexico Military Institute before transferring to New Mexico State and later to Vanderbilt.
He’s emerged as one of the sport’s most productive quarterbacks and recently finished second in the 2025 Heisman Trophy voting. While Pavia has said he plans to enter the 2026 NFL Draft, the lawsuit could leave the door open for him—and others—to stay in college longer if they choose.
The players’ legal argument frames Division I college football as a labor market in which athletes compete for opportunities and compensation, particularly through NIL deals and revenue sharing.
The lawsuit claims the NCAA’s rules unfairly restrict former JUCO players' access to those earnings, while allowing other older or nontraditional athletes more flexibility.
The filing cites examples such as postgraduate prep school players, athletes who previously played other professional sports, and recent NCAA decisions allowing former professional basketball players to return to college competition.
The NCAA strongly disagrees. In response to the filing, a spokesperson said eligibility decisions are handled on a case-by-case basis and emphasized that the association believes its rules are necessary to preserve competitive balance and opportunities for future high school athletes.
The NCAA has also consistently argued that eligibility rules are tied to education, not economics, and are meant to align athletic participation with the typical college timeline.