208 days after winning lawsuit vs. NCAA, Diego Pavia calls for major changes in eligibility criteria for college athletes

Quarterback Diego Pavia began his collegiate journey with the New Mexico Military Institute, a junior college, in 2020. After two seasons, he transferred to play for the New Mexico State Aggies before joining the Vanderbilt Commodores last year.

In November 2024, Diego Pavia filed a lawsuit against the NCAA, claiming that his time at a junior college should not be counted toward his eligibility. He argued it was a violation of antitrust law, as it limits his scope of earning through NIL deals. In December 2024, Pavia won this lawsuit and was granted an extra year of eligibility.

Now, 208 days after this, the Vanderbilt quarterback has come forward to call for major changes in the NCAA's eligibility rules at the SEC Media Day on Monday. According to beat writer Aria Gerson, the quarterback wishes for collegiate eligibility to be extended to five years.

"Regarding his lawsuit, Diego Pavia said he would support a '5 in 5' model (5 years of eligibility for all players)," Gerson wrote in a tweet on X.

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Last season, Pavia took over as the starting quarterback of the Commodores. He led the team to a 7-6 record and a Birmingham Bowl victory over Georgia Tech. However, the highlight of his debut with the team was their 40-35 victory over SEC rivals Alabama. Pavia finished the season recording 2,293 yards and 20 TDs passing.

Diego Pavia reminisces victory over Alabama last season

While speaking with the press at the SEC Media Days, the quarterback talked about last season's victory over the Crimson Tide. Diego Pavia stated that it was a crucial win that gave them a boost to compete in the bowl games eventually.

"I think the win over Alabama was big from a Vandebilt standpoint just allowing us to go get talent," Pavia said as per SI. "And it eventually helped us go to a bowl game. Each one of those six wins was important. But that one, obviously, they're the No.1-ranked team in the country."

"But when it comes down to it, every win was important. And I think that one was because we finally got people to believe kind of in Vanderbilt football. So from here on out, obviously we've got to win more games to get the things done that we want. Winning solves everything."

The Commodores begin their 2025 campaign with a showdown against Charleston Southern. It is scheduled to be played on August 30 at FirstBank Stadium in Nashville.

About the author

Priyam is a College Sports content executive at Sportskeeda with a master's in Advertising and Marketing Management and over two years of experience as a writer. When it comes to reporting, Priyam believes doing a technical deep dive is one of his biggest strengths and he loves to dissect plays on the field and factor out the strengths/weaknesses of players.

A fan of the Alabama Crimson Tide football team, Priyam sees Nick Saban as the greatest coach of all time. He is also rooting for Alabama quarterback Jalen Milore after following his progress over the years. The Michigan Wolverines football team is another of his favorite programs and it will be interesting to see how both these teams perform in new coaching eras.

When he’s not reporting, Priyam is usually at the gym or indulging in music. He has been a guitarist and a drummer for the past 17 years and finds his time of peace when playing music.

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Edited by Ruth John S