Diego Pavia and Vanderbilt fall short in bowl game as star quarterback’s NCAA eligibility demand rises
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Vanderbilt Commodores quarterback Diego Pavia came up short in his quest for a ReliaQuest Bowl victory over the Iowa Hawkeyes on Wednesday afternoon.
Iowa won the game, 34-27.
Pavia was 25 of 38 for 347 yards with three total touchdowns: two through the air and one on the ground. The Heisman Trophy finalist had an 11-yard touchdown run to cut the deficit to seven points. Iowa and Vanderbilt then exchanged field goals, but the Commodores couldn’t get the ball back.
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Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia throws a pass against Iowa during the first half of the ReliaQuest Bowl on Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025, in Tampa, Florida. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
Vanderbilt’s season-ending loss comes as Pavia battles the NCAA over its eligibility rules. Although he may end up entering the NFL Draft, the lawsuit continues in hopes of helping other college players. The lawsuit challenges the NCAA rule that counts seasons spent at colleges toward players’ eligibility for Division I football.
Last week, a lawyer for Pavia and 26 other football players cited the NCAA’s decision to allow an NBA Draft pick to return to college basketball as a reason why a federal judge should allow his clients to play in 2026 and 2027.
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Vanderbilt Commodores quarterback Diego Pavia throws a pass against the Iowa Hawkeyes in the first quarter during the ReliaQuest Bowl at Raymond James Stadium on Dec. 31, 2025. (Nathan Ray Seebeck/Image Images)
Pavia initially sued the NCAA in November 2024 and weeks later won a preliminary injunction allowing him to play this season. He was the SEC Player of the Year this season with 3,192 passing yards and 27 touchdown passes in the regular season. The Commodores finished 10-3 with the loss to Iowa.
The quarterback’s lawsuit has since added 26 other plaintiffs, including Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Joey Aguilar.
NCAA rules give athletes five years to play four seasons under an eligibility clock that begins at any “university institution,” regardless of whether the school is a member of the NCAA.
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Pavia played at New Mexico Military Institute in 2020, which did not count toward eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He led the school to a college national championship before playing at New Mexico State in 2022 and 2023 and later at Vanderbilt.
The News contributed to this report.
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Ryan Gaydos is a senior editor at News Digital.