NASHVILLE, Tenn. – 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.

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