Diego Pavia's 5-Word Message After NCAA Eligibility Ruling

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Matt De Lima | Last updated Dec 23, 2024 5:37 PM ET

The NCAA Division I Board of Directors agreed to provide a waiver for former junior college players, which grants them an additional year of eligibility. This decision comes several days after a Tennessee federal court granted Vanderbilt Commodores starting quarterback Diego Pavia another year of eligibility. The court ruled that the NCAA cannot count his junior college seasons toward his remaining eligibility.

Although the court's ruling only applied to Pavia, the NCAA opted to grant the additional eligibility to all athletes.

After the NCAA announced their waiver, Pavia posted to social media that he shouldn't be thanked, "Don't thank me, THANK GOD❤️."

Pavia and Vanderbilt are scheduled to play Georgia Tech in the Birmingham Bowl on December 27.

Don’t thank me, THANK GOD❤️
— Diego Pavia (@diegopavia02) December 23, 2024

In a game that put Pavia and the Commodores on the map, Vanderbilt upset then-No. 1 Alabama on October 5, winning 40-35. Pavia completed 16-of-20 passes for 252 yards and two touchdowns in that game. He also ran for 56 yards on 20 carries.

After the game, the 6-foot, 200-pound signal-caller said, “Games like this change your life.”

Athletes like Pavia, who were expected to use their final year of eligibility this year, are now eligible to play next year. Pavia played two years of JUCO football at New Mexico Military Institute in 2020 and 2021.

The NCAA plans to file an appeal to the Pavia lawsuit. With the court ruling, the association is considering reviewing its eligibility rules to ensure they are "sustainable and can withstand scrutiny," per Yahoo Sports' Ross Dellenger.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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