"NCAA created a blanket waiver for Diego Pavia": Stranded CFB player calls out Charlie Baker & NCAA over his 2025 eligibility loss

Even after the Diego Pavia ruling, the NCAA can't give a definitive answer to former JUCO players about their eligibility. As a result, stranded player Nathan Kibambe called out Charlie Baker and the NCAA.

After the NCAA revoked the eligibility for some former JUCO players earlier this month, affecting Kibambe and Baylor wide receiver Ashtyn Hawkins, the Elon Phoenix defensive back shared a lengthy X post, accusing the association of unfair treatment.

"Players like @__sul3, @ashtynhawkins, and so many others trained, competed, and gave everything this spring—only to be blindsided by a retroactive eligibility ruling. That’s not just wrong… it’s unjust and cruel.

"Yes, Diego Pavia and Jett Elad won their cases—but they had the money to fight. Most of us can’t afford $20,000+ just to stay on the field. That’s not a fair process. That’s economic discrimination❗️

"What doesn’t make sense is this: the NCAA created a blanket waiver @diegopavia02, but nothing for@JettElad—even though there are clearly hundreds of athletes in the exact same situation as him. Why make case-by-case rulings when the issue is widespread? Where’s the consistency???" Nathan Kibambe wrote as a part of the 15-paragraph post.

The player also lamented the timing of the ruling, mentioning that it happened after players entered the transfer portal, signed NIL deals, lost chances at getting scholarships and even skipped pro days and the entire NFL Draft process while trusting they still had a year of college football eligibility left.

According to the most recent NCAA ruling, the final year of eligibility for several former Junior College players was revoked on May 13, backtracking from the Diego Pavia ruling from last December. Kimbambe is asking the NCAA to have a balanced ruling for every athlete and "not just the most privileged".

What was the Diego Pavia ruling?

Vanderbilt Commodores quarterback Diego Pavia sued the NCAA in November, asking for an extra year of eligibility. He claimed that the NCAA's ruling on eligibility violates antitrust rules.

At the time, the NCAA Division I Board of Directors approved a blanket waiver to players who had played JUCO football while appealing the Diego Pavia ruling. The memo essentially granted any player under the same situation as the quarterback one more year of college eligibility for this season.

However, the NCAA backtracked in some cases. There is no clear explanation for why the association decided to go back on its blanket waiver promise, but it has left several players scrambling for their football careers.