Pavia Plaintiffs Ask Judge To Halt NCAA Eligibility Rules After Nnaji Decision
The new court filing argues the NCAA applies its eligibility clock inconsistently by pointing to James Nnaji’s four-year approval at Baylor.
Overview
- Attorney Ryan Downton filed a memorandum Friday in federal court in Nashville seeking a preliminary injunction from U.S. District Judge William L. Campbell to block NCAA enforcement of its eligibility rules.
- Baylor announced that 7-foot center James Nnaji, the No. 31 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft who played professionally in Europe and in NBA Summer League, was granted four full college seasons.
- The filing characterizes the Nnaji ruling as hypocritical, noting he could be 25 before exhausting eligibility while former junior college players are denied an extra year.
- The lawsuit challenges the rule that counts junior-college seasons toward Division I eligibility and now lists 26 additional plaintiffs, including Tennessee quarterback Joey Aguilar.
- Diego Pavia won an earlier injunction that let him play the 2024 season at Vanderbilt and is continuing the case as he plans to enter the NFL draft, with related eligibility suits over redshirt rules also moving forward.