Vanderbilt Football Quarterback Diego Pavia Filed a Lawsuit Against the NCAA in Federal Court for Player Eligibility

Vanderbilt Quarterback Diego Pavia isn't happy that he has limited eligibility to play at a Division I school due to NCAA bylaws restricting junior college players. He argues that he should have two more years of eligibility in his lawsuit.

Vanderbilt Quarterback Diego Pavia speaking to Paul Finebaum

Diego Pavia Filed a Lawsuit in Federal Court Against the NCAA bylaws

According to ESPN, Diego Pavia "filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee in Nashville, requesting an injunction that would prevent the NCAA from enforcing its bylaws regarding junior college player limits and grant Pavia two more seasons of eligibility."

In the lawsuit, it argues "the rules stifle the competition in the labor market for NCAA Division I football players, harming college athletes and degrading the quality of Division I football consumed by the public."

The lawsuit states: "Because Pavia cannot relive his short college career, the harm inflicted by the JUCO Eligibility Limitations Bylaws is irreparable and ongoing, and temporary and preliminary injunctive relief is necessary." Pavia wants to "put a stop to the unjustified anticompetitive restriction on universities who seek to compete for college athletes, and to restore freedom of economic opportunity for himself and other college football players."

The NCAA's stated mission is "to promote the well-being of college athletes" and Pavia's lawsuit argues that the "harms [caused] are contrary to the Defendant's stated mission of promoting the well-being of college athletes" that are former Junior College (JUCO) football players "who are harmed by this illegal restraint, and have a small window of time to compete in Division I football." (Source: ESPN)

Junior College Transfers Face 'Unfair' Eligibility Restrictions at Division I Schools

Currently, junior college transfers face eligibility restrictions "that are not placed on athletes who choose to delay entry to a Division I NCAA college to attend prep school, compete professionally in another sport, or serve in the military." This is what happened to Diego Pavia, and his lawsuit fights for himself and other football players in his situation.

The NCAA bylaws start the player's eligibility clock at the time they enter a two-year school (i.e. a junior college) - even if he or she does not play, including those that redshirt and the four-year eligibility limit.

Diego Pavia Transferred from a Junior College to a Division I School

Diego Pavia played two seasons at New Mexico Military Institute, which is a two-year junior college before he transferred to New Mexico State. There he played from 2022-2023, and enrolled in Vanderbilt in June with only one year of Division I eligibility left to play college football, according to NCAA bylaws.

Vanderbilt has beat Alabama and Auburn in this year's college football season and helped revive Vanderbilt's football program.

Questions for the reader: 

Do you think the NCAA should change its bylaws regarding JUCO football players' eligibility at Division I football schools?

Do you think Diego Pavia should be allowed to play at Vanderbilt for two more years?

Warner Bros. has Sanctioned the Sale of 10 Limited Edition Batman Vehicles Known as 'The Tumbler'. They Cost About $3M Each

Do you dream of cruising down the highway in a 2-ton Batmobile?

Well, dream no more, because it can be yours for almost $3 million.

The Tumbler Batmobile by Wayne Enterprises

10 iconic Batmobile vehicles that resemble "The Tumbler" from Christopher Nolan's "Dark Knight" Batman movies will be available for sale by Wayne Enterprises, and Warner Bros. Studios is sanctioning their production in honor of the 85th Anniversary. The vehicle sale price is approximately $2,990,000 USD.

The Tumbler vehicle being sold has a 6-liter LS3 engine and weighs 5,511 pounds, over 2 tons. It has a steel tube space frame, fitted with kevlar, carbon fiber, sheet metal, and fiberglass.

The batmobile will have a five-point racing harness, complete with imitation gun turrets and a "simulated jet turbine powerplant."

The Timeline to Receive The Batman Tumbler

The website shows a timeline that consists of "allocation" (i.e. reservation), a "review offering" of the final specs with pricing, payment details and an offer to reserve the build spot, with an estimated delivery of 15 months from the date of deposit. Then finally comes the Tumbler arrival (i.e. the delivery).

Complete details about this movie-inspired vehicle are found on the company website here.

Another company, Hot Toys, is releasing a special figure for Batman enthusiasts.

Hot Toys is Taking Orders for Collectible Batman Figures

Hot Toys is producing a Batman 1/6 Scale figure based on The Dark Knight Returns. It stands at 12.6' tall and will have 30 points of articulation. 

According to the website ToyArk.com, "each piece of head sculpt is specially hand-painted."

More details:

"Inspired by Batman’s appearance in “Batman: The Dark Knight Returns,” this meticulously crafted figure features a newly developed body with 30 points of articulation that portrays Batman’s muscular physique, and a masked head with interchangeable lower parts of the face. Batman includes three swap-out lower faces, multiple interchangeable hands, a rifle, multiple batarangs, a poseable wired cape, and a display stand." -ToyArk.com

The figure (seen below) is available from Slideshow Collectibles and is priced at $255.

Batman

Reader poll: Are you a Batman fan? What do you think of these products in the blog post?