Tennessee quarterback Joey Aguilar sues NCAA for additional year of eligibility
Tennessee quarterback Joey Aguilar, who is seeking an additional year of eligibility since the end of the 2025 season, has filed a lawsuit against the NCAA in Knox County Chancery Court. In his complaint, Aguilar seeks a temporary restraining order against the NCAA in an effort to obtain an injunction that would allow him to play for the Volunteers in 2026.
Aguilar is the latest athlete to sue the NCAA over its eligibility rules and, as in the other cases, the Tennessee quarterback’s complaint alleges those rules deprive him of the opportunity to earn zero compensation. Aguilar played two seasons of junior college football, which he said should not count toward his eligibility clock.
“Should the Court grant Aguilar a waiver from the NCAA JUCO rule in the short term, Tennessee has a spot for him on the roster and would welcome him back,” the complaint states, according to the Knoxville News Sentinel. “His compensation for playing college football in 2026 would be approximately $2 million.”
If the court rules in Aguilar’s favor, it would clear the way for him to rejoin Tennessee’s roster pending a final ruling on the injunction. The 2026 season would be Aguilar’s second with the Volunteers and fourth at the FBS level. He redshirted in 2019 at City College of San Francisco, did not play in 2020 when the season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, started five games at Diablo Valley College in 2021 and started six games the following year before making his Division I debut in 2023 at Appalachian State.
Aguilar will be 25 years old at the start of the 2026 campaign.
No date has been set for Aguilar’s hearing, but he is seeking a quick decision while charting his path forward. The complaint highlights the need for a quick decision to either allow him to return for spring practice or prepare for the NFL draft.
Aguilar led the SEC last season in passing yards per game and totaled 3,565 on the year, which placed him in third place in Tennessee single-season history. He passed for 24 touchdowns and scored four more scores while guiding the Volunteers to an 8-5 record.
Tennessee’s offensive prospects hinge on Aguilar’s decision
An injunction allowing Aguilar to spend one more year at Tennessee would likely raise the Volunteers’ floor in 2026. The quarterback room in his absence lacks experience and would look to George MacIntyre or Faizon Brandon as the starter. Ryan Staub transferred from Colorado but doesn’t have the same high-end potential as the group’s previous blue-chip recruits.
With Aguilar at center, the Volunteers would benefit from both his experience as a fourth-year FBS starter and his familiarity with the offensive system. Any developments between his first and second seasons in the program could help the Volunteers move out of the SEC’s mid-tier and compete more strongly for a spot in the College Football Playoff.
Diego Pavia case has implications for Aguilar and others
Aguilar was initially a plaintiff in Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia’s lawsuit against the NCAA, which is challenging in federal court the legality of counting junior college seasons toward athletes’ five-year eligibility clocks. He was voluntarily released from the Pavia trial and is therefore no longer linked to the decision. The more than 25 plaintiffs in Pavia’s case are awaiting a Feb. 10 hearing at which a judge will consider a preliminary injunction that ends the NCAA’s junior college rule.
If the federal court rules against Pavia and the other plaintiffs, Aguilar could still win eligibility through his own lawsuit in state court. If he grants the injunction, other actions could bring additional eligibility to any former junior varsity player who has not yet played four years of Division I athletics.
