NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The NCAA was back in court Tuesday fighting for the future of its eligibility rules through the case of Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia, who is playing his fourth Division I season under a preliminary injunction.
Attorney Rakesh Kilaru argued in court before a three-judge panel of the 6th U.S. District Court of Appeals that the NCAA believes its rules determining athlete eligibility do not violate the Sherman Act or other antitrust laws. Kilaru also said the association intends to enforce its rules.
“I would venture we’ll be back in court in weeks or months,” Kilaru said.
Any ruling by the appeals court won’t affect Pavia’s status this season. The NCAA granted a waiver after the injunction granting eligibility through the 2025-26 academic year for junior college athletes who would have exhausted eligibility during the 2024-25 academic year.
A federal judge agreed last December that Pavia had a strong likelihood of success at trial against the NCAA rule limiting junior college players’ eligibility as a restraint of trade under the Sherman Act.