14-07-2025
QB Diego Pavia back for Vanderbilt amid battle with NCAA that could reshape eligibility rules
ATLANTA — One way or another, Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia might have changed college sports forever last fall.
Pavia led Vanderbilt to a 7-6 season on the field highlighted by an upset victory over No. 1 Alabama, but his lasting contribution came in court.
The New Mexico State transfer started his career with two seasons at New Mexico Military Institute, a junior college. Under normal circumstances, his collegiate eligibility would have expired after last year. The 2020 season — his first — did not count against eligibility for any athletes due to COVID-19, giving him the four years he ended up playing between one more at the institute, two at New Mexico State and one at Vanderbilt.
