Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia has rocketed to varsity soccer stardom this season, and now he is suing the NCAA for 2 extra years of eligibility.
Per ESPN’s Mark Schlabach, Pavia filed a federal lawsuit in opposition to the school athletics governing physique Friday, alleging it was violating the Sherman Antitrust Act by decreasing the variety of years junior faculty athletes are capable of play at Division I establishments.
“The JUCO Eligibility Limitation Bylaws neither promote competitors nor profit faculty athletes with respect to their influence on individuals who attend junior faculties earlier than transferring to NCAA faculties,” the lawsuit says.
In layman’s phrases, Pavia is alleging the NCAA’s bylaws unfairly stifle junior faculty transfers from having the ability to revenue from their identify, picture and likeness (NIL).
Pavia, a senior from Albuquerque, New Mexico, performed two seasons at New Mexico Army Institute earlier than transferring to New Mexico State in 2022.
In 2024, he is led Vanderbilt to its 10th bowl-eligible season in program historical past — together with a 40-35 upset over then-No. 1 Alabama in October.
Now that Pavia has change into a extra well-known participant, he is understandably trying to capitalize on his reputation.
“As a result of Pavia can not relive his brief faculty profession, the hurt inflicted by the JUCO Eligibility Limitations Bylaws is irreparable and ongoing,” the lawsuit says. “Pavia brings this motion to place a cease to the unjustified anticompetitive restriction on universities who search to compete for faculty athletes, and to revive freedom of financial alternative for himself and different faculty soccer gamers.”
The lawsuit can also be difficult “the NCAA’s bylaws that begin a participant’s eligibility clock as soon as he enters a two-year college, even when he does not play, in addition to its redshirt rule and four-year eligibility restrict.”
It is one other mountain of paperwork and litigation added to the NCAA’s rising issues with different NIL and revenue-sharing instances.
Though, this case seems to simply be narrowly tailor-made to including eligibility years to gamers like Pavia’s careers. In whole, Pavia has solely performed three seasons on the Division I stage however has performed 5 seasons of faculty soccer general.
By suing, he is attempting to get further eligibility (as a result of he isn’t precisely NFL materials and would graduate). If profitable, he’d be capable of probably get extra NIL cash and be a part of within the income sharing. If his case succeeds, it means different JUCO gamers like himself would get the chance for extra years and more cash.
