Texas's Steve Sarkisian Criticizes Vanderbilt QB Diego Pavia's Eligibility Injunction

"I totally disagree," the Longhorns coach and ex-junior college quarterback said.

Steve Sarkisian before No. 2 Texas's 22–19 overtime loss to No. 5 Georgia in the SEC championship on Dec. 7, 2024. / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Once upon a time, Texas coach Steve Sarkisian was in the same boat as Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia. Sarkisian played two years as a quarterback for El Camino College—a junior college in Los Angeles County—and then transferred to BYU.

Sarkisian played two years in Provo, garnering WAC Offensive Player of the Year honors after a terrific 1996. Pavia, however, has played three thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic—and is now able to play more after a Wednesday court injunction.

The decision did not sit well with Sarkisian.

"I totally disagree with the... determination on this," Sarkisian said ahead of the Longhorns' first-round College Football Playoff game vs. Clemson Saturday. "We chose to go to junior college football. That’s where we wanted to start and play our careers. So, I don’t understand it at all. We’re going to have guys 28, 29 years old playing college football. What’s the point?"

When asked by @Joshua_Newman about the decision to allow Vanderbilt's Diego Pavia an additional year, Steve Sarkisian was pretty straight forward:

"I totally disagree...we're going to have guys 28-29 years old playing college football"#HookEm | #Texas pic.twitter.com/9yTFXZXkCd

— Cory Mose (@Cory_Mose) December 19, 2024

The injunction—granted by Judge William L. Campbell Jr. of Tennessee—suggests that the NCAA is violating antitrust law by counting junior college eligibility toward athletes' four year of NCAA eligibility.

Pavia—a New Mexico Military product who was the 2023 Conference USA Offensive Player of the Year at New Mexico State—threw 17 touchdowns against four interceptions this season.

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