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Vanderbilt Commodores backmost Diego Pavia came up short successful his pursuit of a ReliaQuest Bowl triumph complete nan Iowa Hawkeyes connected Wednesday afternoon.
Iowa won nan game, 34-27.
Pavia was 25-of-38 for 347 yards pinch 3 full touchdowns – 2 passing and 1 rushing. The Heisman Trophy finalist had an 11-yard touchdown tally to trim nan shortage to 7 points. Iowa and Vanderbilt past traded section goals, but nan Commodores couldn’t get nan shot back.
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Vanderbilt backmost Diego Pavia throws a walk against Iowa during nan first half of nan ReliaQuest Bowl NCAA assemblage shot crippled Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025, successful Tampa, Florida. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
The nonaccomplishment to extremity Vanderbilt’s play comes arsenic Pavia fights nan NCAA complete its eligibility rules. Although he whitethorn extremity up entering nan NFL Draft, nan suit is continuing successful hopes of helping different inferior assemblage players. The suit challenges nan NCAA rule that counts seasons spent astatine inferior colleges against players’ eligibility for Division I football.
Last week, a lawyer for Pavia and 26 different shot players cited nan NCAA’s determination to let an NBA draught prime to return to assemblage hoops arsenic a logic that a national judge should fto his clients play successful 2026 and 2027.
OREGON'S DAN LANNING CALLS FOR COLLEGE FOOTBALL SEASON TO END BY JAN 1 EVERY YEAR
Vanderbilt Commodores backmost Diego Pavia (2) throws a walk against nan Iowa Hawkeyes successful nan first 4th during nan ReliaQuest Bowl astatine Raymond James Stadium connected Dec. 31, 2025. (Nathan Ray Seebeck/Imagn Images)
Pavia initially sued nan NCAA successful November 2024 and won a preliminary injunction weeks later that allowed him to play this season. He was nan SEC Player of nan Year this play pinch 3,192 passing yards and 27 touchdown passes successful nan regular season. The Commodores vanished 10-3 aft nan nonaccomplishment to Iowa.
The quarterback’s suit has since added 26 different plaintiffs, including Tennessee Volunteers backmost Joey Aguilar.
NCAA rules springiness athletes 5 years to play 4 seasons nether an eligibility timepiece that originates astatine immoderate "collegiate institution" sloppy of whether nan schoolhouse is an NCAA member.
Bundle FOX One and FOX Nation to watercourse nan full FOX Nation library, positive unrecorded FOX News, Sports, and Entertainment astatine our lowest value of nan year. The connection ends connected Jan. 4, 2026. (Fox One; Fox Nation)
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Pavia played astatine New Mexico Military Institute successful 2020, which wasn’t counted toward eligibility because of nan COVID-19 pandemic. The led nan schoolhouse to a inferior assemblage nationalist title earlier he played astatine New Mexico State successful 2022 and 2023 and later Vanderbilt.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Ryan Gaydos is simply a elder editor for Fox News Digital.
