NASHVILLE — Vanderbilt University quarterback Diego Pavia is suing the NCAA over its rules limiting the eligibility of former junior college players after transferring to a Division I school.
Pavia believes the NCAA’s rules “unjustifiably” restrain athletes’ abilities to earn money under name, image and likeness rules.
The lawsuit filed Friday in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee in Nashville asks for a temporary restraining order with Pavia asking for two more seasons of eligibility through 2026-27 to allow for a redshirt season “to avoid additional harm.”
He also asks that Vanderbilt, or any other college, not be punished for complying with orders from the court.
“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,” according to the lawsuit.