Overview
- Attorney Ryan Downton filed a memorandum asking U.S. District Judge William L. Campbell to block enforcement of the NCAA’s eligibility clock for former JUCO players in upcoming seasons.
- Twenty-six additional plaintiffs, including Tennessee quarterback Joey Aguilar, joined Diego Pavia’s case seeking court protection to preserve playing options for 2026 and 2027.
- Baylor’s Christmas Eve announcement that James Nnaji was cleared for four full seasons after four years of professional play in Europe is central to the plaintiffs’ argument.
- Pavia previously won a preliminary injunction in late 2024 that let him play at Vanderbilt in 2024, and he is continuing the antitrust case as he prepares for the NFL draft.
- The suit challenges NCAA Bylaw 12.8’s Five-Year Rule, which starts the eligibility clock at any collegiate enrollment, and related eligibility lawsuits, including a redshirt-rule case, are moving in parallel.