JUCO Players Retain 4 Years of Eligibility at the NCAA Level

[Lobo]

According to JUCO Frenzy, a court has ruled that as of the date of the court's order, JUCO athletes retain all 4 years of NCAA eligibility, even if they played a year or two at the JUCO level.

The court's ruling is subject to reversal on appeal, but for the foreseeable future, those who played JUCO ball retain 4 years of eligibility at institutions governed by the NCAA, regardless of division level. Theoretically, a student can use 2 years of eligibility at a JUCO and transfer to a college where he can play another 4, and even 5 years, if he redshirts one of those years. That's 7 years. At that rate a kid can play football and earn a doctorate degree.

[Lobo]

By way of background, here's what happened:

Diego Pavia, the protagonist of our story, is currently a QB at Vanderbilt. He filed a preliminary injunction a month or so ago asking a U.S. District Court judge to allow him to play another season in 2025 claiming that the time he spent in junior college limits how long he can play at the NCAA level. Pavia spent his first season in 2021 at New Mexico Military Institute before transferring to FBS schools New Mexico State and ultimately Vanderbilt. He filed the lawsuit because he didn’t want the year spent at NM Military to count toward his 4 years of eligibility.

His antitrust lawsuit claims that the NCA’s longstanding eligibility rule constitutes an unlawful restraint on his ability to earn NIL money. JUCO players don’t and can’t earn NIL money because NCAA rules don’t apply to them. Pavia’s lawyer argued that the NCAA “gives a competitive advantage to NCAA Division I member schools over junior colleges – and thus the football players at each level – even though they are treated the same in terms of eligibility,”

The NCAA said it is disappointed with the court's ruling and “it is making changes to deliver more benefits to student-athletes, but a patchwork of state laws and court opinions make clear that partnering with Congress is essential to provide stability for the future of all college athletes.” It didn’t say whether it would appeal the court’s decision. And if the NCAA leaves it up to Congress to decide, who know whether or when the court's ruling will be changed.

[crixus]

I was a Juco athlete, cross country and.track & field. I only got one offer from one school and had to work my arse off to make the team. But I did, and look back on it with fond memories. I've always supported Juco athletes in all sports and am glad that this decision went in their favor. At least for now.

[Lobo]

The legal theory behind Pavia's motion seeking a preliminary injunction against the NCAA is consistent with other lawsuits that got us where we are today. As the court made clear in Pavia's lawsuit, JUCO rules and NCAA rules are not one and the same. Clearly the NCAA can limit an athletes participation in sports to 4 years, but it may not go to JUCO rules to get to the 4 year limit. I could be wrong but I don't see the NCAA filing an appeal in this case. NCAA sanctioned athletes in every sport would revolt if the NCAA tried to take their NIL monies away. The Jennie is out of the bottle and there's no putting it back in. This is a victory for all JUCO athletes working hard to get to a 4-year NCAA institution.

By the way, under normal circumstances the court's ruling would not apply outside the jurisdiction of the court. However, due to the fact that the NCAA applies its rules uniformly and nationwide, the preliminary injunction is not limited to Diego Pavia. Thus, the court's ruling and NCAA's compliance applies to all JUCO athletes across the country in same or similar circumstances.

[huntnfish]

Right now the rule only applies to NCAA DI athletes in the same situation as Diego Pavia. NCAA DI players who player Juco who's eligibility just ended. For Division II players or any current Juco Player nothing has changed

[Turbonium]

Noticed that there is a surprising name on the 2025 Pueblo roster, perhaps due to this JUCO ruling?

https://gothunderwolves.com/sports/f...-retzlaff/9652