NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A lawyer for Heisman Trophy runner-up Diego Pavia and 26 other football players has cited the NCAA’s decision to allow an NBA draft pick to return to college basketball as a reason that a federal judge should let his clients play in 2026 and 2027.

Although Pavia plans to enter the NFL draft, he is continuing the lawsuit — which challenges an NCAA rule that counts seasons spent at junior colleges against players’ eligibility for Division I football — to help other former junior college players.

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