Pavia v. NCAA: the preliminary injunction: Judge William L. Campbell Jr. said “the NCAA’s assertion that the eligibility rules are necessary to prevent age and experience disparities and preserve the quality of experience for student-athletes falls flat”

Judge William L. Campbell Jr., U.S. District Judge, Middle District of Tennessee

With Pavia as quarterback, Vanderbilt has seen historic success — Vanderbilt beat both the University of Alabama and Auburn University — and the team will be playing in a bowl game for the first time since 2018

Judge William L. Campbell Jr., U.S. District Judge, Middle District of Tennessee

Given the different treatment of other student-athletes with comparable or more post-secondary experience, the NCAA’s assertion that the eligibility rules are necessary to prevent age and experience disparities and preserve the quality of experience for student-athletes falls flat

Clark Lea, Vanderbilt head coach

I couldn’t be happier for Diego to be able to extend his college career

Ryan Downton, Diego Pavia's attorney

a junior college season shouldn't be the equivalent of an NCAA season when the junior college season has no meaningful opportunities to earn NIL, no television exposure. They take other athletes [who are playing somewhere outside of high school] and don't hold those seasons against them.

NCAA

Altering the enforcement of rules overwhelmingly supported by NCAA member schools makes a shifting environment even more unsettled

U.S. District Judge William Campbell ordered a preliminary injunction for starting quarterback Diego Pavia on Dec. 18, granting him an additional year of eligibility to play NCAA football without penalty.

Associated Press

The NCAA appealed Monday the preliminary injunction granted by a U.S. federal judge giving Diego Pavia another year of eligibility even as the organization’s Division I board of directors granted a waiver allowing athletes in a similar situation as the Vanderbilt quarterback to play in 2025-26.