Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia is taking advantage of an additional year of court-granted eligibility, effectively leading the No. 10 Commodores to a 7-1 record (3-1 in the SEC).
The court gave Pavia an injunction after the NCAA appealed on a previous case he won, making him eligible for another season. The quarterback, who initially played two seasons at New Mexico Military Institute in junior college and another two seasons at New Mexico State University in NCAA Division I, is leading another lawsuit seeking to permanently change junior college rules.
How Many Years Does Diego Pavia Have Left in His College Eligibility?
Pavia joked about his status on Sunday on the “Nightcap” podcast, hosted by former NFL players Shannon Sharpe and Chad Ochocinco Johnson, as well as fellow guest Johnny Manziel, boldly claiming he still has 14 or 16 years of college eligibility left before turning professional.
“I think I got like 14 or 16 years in the league,” Pavia told Sharpe and Johnson. “Hey, just sign me up. I’ll win you a few of these.”
MORE: Who is Diego Pavia’s Mom? All About Her Marriage, Ethnicity, Job and More
In his latest lawsuit against the NCAA, Diego Pavia seeks to strike out junior college years against an athlete’s eligibility. The senior quarterback’s legal counsel, Ryan Downton, said that his client wants a permanent ruling that allows other players who initially played JUCO to have a clean slate of eligibility once they transfer to an NCAA Division I school.
Downton added that Pavia’s suit will be joined by similar complaints filed by five other athletes, including his teammates Tre Richardson and Chris Bellamy. He noted that the suit will be filed in the US District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee on or before Oct. 27 under Judge William Campbell.
Diego Pavia has been the stabilizing force for Vanderbilt this season, completing 70.5% of his passes for 1,569 yards. He has passed for 15 touchdowns and four interceptions and has rushed for 438 yards and 4 TDs.
The 6’0″ quarterback wasn’t as electric against Missouri as he has been in other games. Pavia made only 10 of 19 passes for 129 yards and recorded an interception. However, he scored the game-winning touchdown run that broke a 10-all tie with 1:52 left in the SEC game on Saturday at First Bank Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee.
It was the second-straight win for Vanderbilt since losing to Alabama on Oct. 4. The win against another Top 25 team gives the Commodores a big confidence boost ahead of its game against No. 22 Texas on Nov. 1.
