There aren't many Tennessee stories that impact us here in the Pacific Northwest.
But a ruling from a Tennessee judge may have changed the collegiate athletics landscape more than any transfer or no-deal in the ever-changing dynamics of college sports.
Current Vanderbilt University quarterback Diego Pavia appeared to have played his final regular season game for the Commodores on November 30 against Tennessee in a 36-23 loss. While preparing for the Birmingham Bowl against Georgia Tech, Pavia was also preparing for a lawsuit against the NCAA.
You see, Pavia is a college football journeyman. Pavia began his college career at New Mexico Military Institute, a junior college in Roswell. He played two seasons and then transferred to New Mexico State for two seasons before announcing he would transfer to Vanderbilt as a graduate transfer.
Now if you do the math at home, that's it. No more college football for Pavia.
Not so fast, my friend, as the great presenter Lee Corso would say.
As a result of his lawsuit, Pavia was granted an injunction stating that his college years would essentially not count toward his NCAA eligibility. The rule he was fighting was the NCAA's “Five years to play four seasons” rule.
Five days later, on Dec. 23, the NCAA Division I Board of Directors approved a blanket waiver granting former junior college transfers like Pavia an additional year of eligibility, according to ESPN.
Pavia is currently the only company benefiting from this lawsuit. But according to his lawyers and his reflections on the case, it could open the door for others to follow suit.
What does that mean?
Essentially, this means that Pavia should make at least $1 million in zero money (name, image, likeness), according to Yahoo Sports. In July, revenue sharing will begin due to the House of Representatives' antitrust agreement. Up to $20.5 million may be distributed to programs annually.
But from an eligibility standpoint, could this be applied to athletes here in Washington?
Here in Washington State and Oregon we have the Northwest Athletic Conference (NWAC). The conference consists of 36 schools competing in a variety of sports and is very popular with Washington high school athletes, including myself. I played baseball at Grays Harbor College for two years.
“Honestly, I have no idea what to think. In recent history, when such decisions have been made against the NCAA, they tend to adjust their policies. “I believe the NCAA needs to weigh the pros and cons of an appeal, or does it decide to adapt its current criteria specifically to this issue?” said Marco Azurdia, the NWAC’s executive director.
NWAC athletes are already in demand at four-year schools. Competition is extremely high and Division 1 talent is regularly fielded across America. But after this decision they could be even more in demand.
Here, the decision has a greater impact on high school athletes than any transfer rule or no NIL deal. If I'm a college coach and my success depends on the success of my program, I want to have the most experienced and talented players I can get.
A kid who has already played two full seasons of college comes to me and I get her for four years? Sign me up.
I've seen it for years. Four-year colleges recruit kids and deem them not ready to enter their program. To maintain the relationship with this player, they send her to a cheap junior college – a place where they know the kid will be looked after and nurtured, perhaps by an old coaching friend or something like that.
But if the NCAA now gives up ground, non-affiliated college athletics events will not be considered eligible. This could lead to more athletes attending junior colleges across the country.
Would you compare a high school kid who has never played in college, never been on campus, never taken college classes, never been away from home to a kid who has done all of that did it once? They are now on the same playing field.
Let's take girls' soccer. A high school senior could play at Highline for two years. Experience the full strength and conditioning performance of a junior college athlete. Participate in games, gain real experience and try to continue playing after two years.
She is recruited in the same way as a 17 or 18 year old girl coming out of high school. The college player will get many more opportunities than the high school player.
How does this also affect redshirting? Like most things in current college athletics, we'll see. But for now, as we know, this could completely disrupt college sports.
When asked what impact this might have on NWAC athletes, the future is uncertain.
“Right now, I’m not sure,” Azurdia said. “Because if I understand the information correctly, this decision is specific to Mr. Paivia. With that said, I feel like it could ultimately impact NWAC athletes. To what extent still needs to be clarified.”
Ben Ray covers sports in South King County and beyond. Contact benjamin.ray@fedwaymirror.com.