It seems beyond ridiculous but according to a 12/27/25 story in The Athletic ($):
A lawyer representing Vanderbilt University quarterback and 2025 Heisman Trophy finalist Diego Pavia began a legal filing with a poem — a rare move in the legal profession. The memorandum, which was filed in federal court Friday (12/26/25) in Nashville, argues that the NCAA’s recent decision to allow a 2023 NBA draft pick to return to college should also permit Pavia and more than two dozen other former junior college athletes like him to participate in NCAA football in 2026 and 2027.
The legal document emphasized its point with a playful reference to Clement Clarke Moore’s famous holiday poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas.”
“‘Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the NCAA clearinghouse, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse,” the filing begins, its first page written in an old English font.
At the end of that page, the poetry ends and the legal argument commences: “When what to my wandering eyes should appear, but … 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.”
The NCAAs decision to grant eligibility to pro players whove been drafted by the NBA has found its way into a court filing.
Diego Pavias attorneys are seeking to extend the Pavia waiver granted by the NCAA for additional seasons.
And they included somerelated fun. pic.twitter.com/BA8hbz2TJu
— Mit Winter (@WinterSportsLaw) December 27, 2025
Pavia has said he plans to go into the 2026 NFL draft but many draftniks project him to be a third day pick at best and more likely an UDFA. If he were to win and be granted extra eligibility prior to the draft, would he withdraw and return to CFB or, if his suit is resolved after the draft, will James Nnaji--who was the 31st pick in the 2023 NBA Draft and had been playing professional basketball in Spain and Turkey the past two years but was allowed by the NCAA this week to join Baylor's team--become his legal precedent for quitting pro football and going back to college?
All the legal mumbo-jumbo aside, Pavia has played six years of CFB (73 games total, 69 starts): two years at New Mexico Military Institute (21 games), which he led to the 2021 JUCO NC, two years at New Mexico State (27 games), and two years at Vanderbilt (25 games). Even if he wins on the principle that his two JUCO years shouldn't count, he's still played four full FBS seasons and his eligibility by rule should be exhausted.
I'm unclear why he would take this on unless he hopes to personally benefit from a favorable judgment. Even though he's a little guy, I don't see him doing it for all the other little guys. He doesn't strike me as being that unselfish.
