{"id":720002,"date":"2026-01-31T21:50:25","date_gmt":"2026-01-31T21:50:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/720002\/"},"modified":"2026-01-31T21:50:25","modified_gmt":"2026-01-31T21:50:25","slug":"tennessee-qb-joey-aguilar-granted-voluntary-dismissal-as-plaintiff-from-diego-pavia-eligibility-lawsuit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/720002\/","title":{"rendered":"Tennessee QB Joey Aguilar granted voluntary dismissal as plaintiff from Diego Pavia eligibility lawsuit"},"content":{"rendered":"

Tennessee<\/a> quarterback Joey Aguilar<\/a> has been granted a voluntary dismissal as a plaintiff in the Diego Pavia<\/a> eligibility lawsuit, according to court documents. Aguilar joined the suit as a plaintiff<\/a> in November.<\/p>\n

Aguilar hired his own lawyer in late January separate from Pavia\u2019s, bringing in Cam Norris to represent him, according to the Knoxville News Sentinel<\/a>. Norris represented President Donald Trump in 2022, when he was a candidate, before the U.S. Supreme Court. Trump was seeking to overturn a decision from the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee to allow it to obtain tax returns over a six-year span. The court declined the request.<\/p>\n

SUBSCRIBE to the On3 NIL and Sports Business Newsletter<\/a><\/p>\n

Additionally, Norris argued on behalf of the Tennessee attorney general\u2019s office in the school\u2019s case against the NCAA\u2019s NIL<\/a> rules. The suit argued the guidelines violated antitrust law, and Norris was part of UT\u2019s defense in the case. The case was settled<\/a> in January 2025.<\/p>\n

Tennessee quarterback Joey Aguilar has been granted voluntary dismissal from Diego Pavia’s lawsuit seeking additional eligibility for ex-JUCO players.<\/p>\n

Aguilar recently hired his own lawyer separate from Pavia’s, so this may mean he seeks to file his own separate lawsuit. pic.twitter.com\/aZx5ZAjjSy<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Sam C. Ehrlich (@samcehrlich) January 30, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Aguilar was among the plaintiffs in Pavia\u2019s suit, which challenged the NCAA\u2019s eligibility rules for junior college athletes. The former Vanderbilt<\/a> quarterback was granted a preliminary injunction to play the 2025 season, but other former JUCO players joined as part of an effort for additional eligibility. A hearing in the case is scheduled for Feb. 10 in Nashville, per Knox News.<\/p>\n

More on Joey Aguilar, the Diego Pavia case<\/p>\n

Diego Pavia received a sixth season of eligibility following a preliminary injunction late last year as a result of his suit against the NCAA. He argued his time at\u00a0New Mexico Military Institute\u00a0should not count against his eligibility. As his attorneys worked to make it a class-action case, though, the Vanderbilt quarterback said he does not intend on playing another year at Vanderbilt.<\/p>\n

In December, attorneys representing Pavia and the other plaintiffs issued a new filing<\/a>, which cited the NCAA\u2019s decision to grant James Nnaji<\/a> immediate eligibility. He is a former NBA Draft pick, although he never played in an NBA game or signed an NBA contract. However, he played in the NBA Summer League.<\/p>\n

The attorneys took inspiration from The Night Before Christmas in the filing. They included a poem while criticizing the NCAA\u2019s decision.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen what to my wandering eyes should appear, but\u2026 the hypocrisy of the NCAA granting four years of eligibility to a 21-year-old European professional basketball player with four years of professional experience who was drafted by an NBA team two years ago,\u201d the filing reads.<\/p>\n

Joey Aguilar began his college career at the junior college level at\u00a0Diablo Valley Community College\u00a0in California from 2021-22 before arriving at\u00a0Appalachian State<\/a>\u00a0in 2023. He then entered the\u00a0transfer portal<\/a>\u00a0after the 2024 season and committed to\u00a0UCLA<\/a>, but after the Bruins added former Tennessee quarterback\u00a0Nico Iamaleava<\/a>, Aguilar re-entered the portal and committed to Tennessee.<\/p>\n

In 2025, Aguilar completed 67.3% of his passes for 3,565 yards and 24 touchdowns, to 10 interceptions. The Vols are facing questions at the quarterback position in 2026 after Jake Merklinger<\/a> entered the transfer portal, though talented prospect Faizon Brandon<\/a> signed as a true freshman.<\/p>\n