Quarterback Diego Pavia announces intention to remain at Vanderbilt in 2025

Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia will apparently be staying put after he was granted an additional year of eligibility via court ruling.

Pavia took to Twitter on Saturday night to announce the news that he will remain with the Commodores in 2025.

“NASHVEGAS, IM OFFICIALLY BACK FOR ANOTHER YEAR!!” Pavia wrote. “NEXT YEAR WILL BE THE BIGGEST YEAR IN VANDERBILT HISTORY.”

Diego Pavia arrived at Vanderbilt in 2024 from New Mexico State, where he spent two years. He helped lead the Commodores to an impressive turnaround, finishing 6-6 with a marquee victory over Alabama on the resume.

He threw for 2,293 yards, with 20 touchdowns and just four interceptions. He also ran for 800 yards and eight touchdowns. That kind of production helped put Vanderbilt on the map.

His eligibility, though, was set to expire before a court ruling granted him a preliminary injunction against the NCAA.

Diego Pavia started his college career at the JUCO level at the New Mexico Military Institute for two years, which he argued shouldn’t count toward his eligibility.

He filed a suit against the NCAA in November, and Judge William Campbell made his decision Dec. 18 to grant a preliminary injunction. Barring future legal challenges, that gave Pavia another year of college football.

“Athletes playing football outside of the NCAA monopoly have no meaningful opportunity to profit off their name, image, or likeness,” Pavia’s initial complaint stated. “Even so, JUCO Eligibility Limitation Bylaws restrict the ability of athletes who begin their college football careers in junior colleges from having the same opportunity to profit from NIL as students who enter an NCAA institution as freshmen.

“Specifically, the JUCO Eligibility Bylaws limit athletes who begin their college careers at junior colleges to only two or three seasons of NCAA Division I football, as opposed to the four seasons of competition (and NIL Compensation opportunities) available to all other NCAA Division I football players.”

Now that Diego Pavia has announced his intention to remain at Vanderbilt, rather than enter the NCAA transfer portal, coach Clark Lea can once again keep building toward the future.