Latest news with #NewMexicoState
NBC Sports
15-07-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
QB Diego Pavia back for Vanderbilt amid battle with NCAA that could reshape eligibility rules
ATLANTA — One way or another, Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia might have changed college sports forever last fall. Pavia led Vanderbilt to a 7-6 season on the field highlighted by an upset victory over No. 1 Alabama, but his lasting contribution came in court. The New Mexico State transfer started his career with two seasons at New Mexico Military Institute, a junior college. Under normal circumstances, his collegiate eligibility would have expired after last year. The 2020 season — his first — did not count against eligibility for any athletes due to COVID-19, giving him the four years he ended up playing between one more at the institute, two at New Mexico State and one at Vanderbilt. Last November, Pavia filed a lawsuit against the NCAA, arguing that his JUCO years should not count against his NCAA eligibility, citing the potential losses in earnings from name, image and likeness deals. U.S. District Judge William Campbell Jr. in Tennessee granted a preliminary injunction, ordering the NCAA to allow Pavia to play. The NCAA is appealing Campbell's decision but granted a blanket waiver that will allow Pavia and other athletes who played at non-NCAA Division I schools prior to enrollment an extra year of eligibility if they were going to exhaust their eligibility this year. Pavia is back and ready to lead the Commodores again in 2025. 'I'm just grateful to have him for another year and spend more time with him,' Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea said at SEC Media Days. College football eligibility could be completely different moving forward in light of Pavia's lawsuit. Others have followed with lawsuits of their own, and alterations to NCAA eligibility remain one of many issues still evolving in college sports. Pavia is well aware his impact went far beyond just winning games, though. 'I have a lot of teammates, ex-teammates from New Mexico Military Institute who I played with who text me and say, 'Hey, thank you.' A lot of people reach out,' he said. 'It wasn't really me, it was my lawyer who did it.' Pavia said he supports 'a five-for-five kind of deal,' where college athletes would start with five years of eligibility to be completed in a five-year time period, eliminating the use of redshirts or medical waivers to extend a traditional four-year eligibility clock. Whether he gets his wish remains to be seen, but he already won one battle by earning the right to play in 2025. Vanderbilt ended last season with a win over Georgia Tech in the Birmingham Bowl, its first bowl victory since 2013 and the exclamation point on improvement from a 2-10 season in 2023. Pavia gives Vanderbilt an opportunity to sustain momentum from last year's breakthrough campaign. 'I'm in a super blessed position,' Pavia said. 'Because I get to finish something I started.'
San Francisco Chronicle
14-07-2025
- Sport
- San Francisco Chronicle
QB Diego Pavia back for Vanderbilt amid battle with NCAA that could reshape eligibility rules
ATLANTA (AP) — One way or another, Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia might have changed college sports forever last fall. Pavia led Vanderbilt to a 7-6 season on the field highlighted by an upset victory over No. 1 Alabama, but his lasting contribution came in court. The New Mexico State transfer started his career with two seasons at New Mexico Military Institute, a junior college. Under normal circumstances, his collegiate eligibility would have expired after last year. The 2020 season — his first — did not count against eligibility for any athletes due to COVID-19, giving him the four years he ended up playing between one more at the institute, two at New Mexico State and one at Vanderbilt. Last November, Pavia filed a lawsuit against the NCAA, arguing that his JUCO years should not count against his NCAA eligibility, citing the potential losses in earnings from name, image and likeness deals. U.S. District Judge William Campbell Jr. in Tennessee granted a preliminary injunction, ordering the NCAA to allow Pavia to play. The NCAA is appealing Campbell's decision but granted a blanket waiver that will allow Pavia and other athletes who played at non-NCAA Division I schools prior to enrollment an extra year of eligibility if they were going to exhaust their eligibility this year. Pavia is back and ready to lead the Commodores again in 2025. 'I'm just grateful to have him for another year and spend more time with him,' Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea said at SEC Media Days on Monday. College football eligibility could be completely different moving forward in light of Pavia's lawsuit. Others have followed with lawsuits of their own, and alterations to NCAA eligibility remain one of many issues still evolving in college sports. Pavia is well aware his impact went far beyond just winning games, though. 'I have a lot of teammates, ex-teammates from New Mexico Military Institute who I played with who text me and say, 'Hey, thank you.' A lot of people reach out,' he said. 'It wasn't really me, it was my lawyer who did it.' Pavia said he supports "a five-for-five kind of deal,' where college athletes would start with five years of eligibility to be completed in a five-year time period, eliminating the use of redshirts or medical waivers to extend a traditional four-year eligibility clock. Whether he gets his wish remains to be seen, but he already won one battle by earning the right to play in 2025. Vanderbilt ended last season with a win over Georgia Tech in the Birmingham Bowl, its first bowl victory since 2013 and the exclamation point on improvement from a 2-10 season in 2023. 'I'm in a super blessed position,' Pavia said. 'Because I get to finish something I started.' ___
Washington Post
14-07-2025
- Sport
- Washington Post
QB Diego Pavia back for Vanderbilt amid battle with NCAA that could reshape eligibility rules
ATLANTA — One way or another, Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia might have changed college sports forever last fall. Pavia led Vanderbilt to a 7-6 season on the field highlighted by an upset victory over No. 1 Alabama, but his lasting contribution came in court. The New Mexico State transfer started his career with two seasons at New Mexico Military Institute, a junior college. Under normal circumstances, his collegiate eligibility would have expired after last year. The 2020 season — his first — did not count against eligibility for any athletes due to COVID-19, giving him the four years he ended up playing between one more at the institute, two at New Mexico State and one at Vanderbilt.
USA Today
03-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Tennessee football announces Volunteer Spirit uniform for 2025 season
Tennessee will honor the United States Armed Forces with a Volunteer Spirit football uniform during the 2025 season. Volunteer Spirit is the next football uniform in the Nike Smokey Grey series. Tennessee will wear Volunteer Spirit uniforms against New Mexico State on Nov. 15 at Neyland Stadium, four days following Veterans Day. NIke Smokey Grey uniforms returned for Tennessee in 2022. In 2022, the Vols announced their Nike Smokey Grey Series for the 2022-25 seasons. More: Photos of Tennessee debuting 2024 Smokey Grey uniforms versus Chattanooga UT press release: Tennessee's defining pillar of service and selfless leadership for more than 200 years, the 'Volunteer Spirit' provides the inspiration behind the newest Nike Smokey Grey series football uniform that will honor the United States Armed Forces during the fall of 2025. The 'Volunteer Spirit' uniform also pays tribute to the ultimate legendary Volunteer, Davy Crockett, and was brought to life in collaboration with the Tennessee Military Department, the 134th Air Refueling Wing in East Tennessee and the Tennessee National Guard. The Volunteers will wear their newest Smokey Grey series threads on Nov. 15 when they host New Mexico State for the annual Salute to Service game, which honors our nation's service members, veterans and their families. The Homecoming contest is four days after Veterans Day. For centuries, Volunteers have answered the call on the front lines to protect our freedom. Crockett and over 30 Tennesseans made a heroic last stand at the Battle of the Alamo on March 6, 1836. 'The Davy Stripe,' a modern take on Crockett's famous, fringed uniform in grey, flanks the orange center stripe of the helmet and is prominently displayed on the sleeves of the jersey. A striking, two-tone Smokey grey jersey and pants combination resembles a similar look of steel forged from military artillery. Volunteers is proudly etched across the chest of the jersey. Each stitch woven into the fabric of the uniform serves as a tribute to the state's rich military heritage. Sharp, stencil numbers on the front, back and shoulders of the jersey, as well as the back of the helmet, are inspired by military standard font. The popular 'Star Vols' logo returns for the first time since the turn of the century. It appears as both a military-inspired patch on the front of the pants and on the front helmet bumper. Tennessee's in-house creative agency, 151 Creative, worked in conjunction with the UT equipment staff and Nike to create the new uniforms. One of the unique pieces of the project was the conception of a 'Volunteer Spirit' Tennessee Tri-Star logo as an homage to the 134th Air Refueling Wing. The creative team brought all of the elements to life during a content shoot in May thanks to the service members at McGhee Tyson Air National Guard Base. 'The Volunteer Spirit' is the fourth ideation of the Smokey Grey series, which launched in 2022. That fall, Tennessee wore the 'OG' Smokey grey look in a historic road game victory at LSU. In 2023, the Vols donned the 'Artful Dodger' uniform as a tribute to legendary VFL Condredge Holloway, the first Black player to start at quarterback for an SEC program. UT opened the 2024 campaign against Chattanooga in the 'Volunteer State' uniform, an ode to the state and Tennessee's status as the flagship university with the Tri-Star state emblem serving as the centerpiece. 'Volunteer Spirit' Smokey Grey merchandise is now available through retailers and soon on Follow Vols Wire on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter).
Reuters
25-06-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
Northwestern adds former Oklahoma QB commit Gavin Frakes
June 25 - Quarterback Gavin Frakes is transferring to Northwestern after previously committing to Oklahoma, On3 reported Wednesday. Frakes, who did not see any action at Virginia last season, made a verbal pledge to his hometown Sooners out of the spring transfer portal on May 22. The 6-foot-4, 232-pounder from Norman, Okla., entered the portal on April 21. His only active season was at New Mexico State in 2022, when he went 55-for-110 for 736 yards, four touchdowns and seven interceptions in 11 games (five starts). Frakes, 23, did not play in 2023 and transferred to Virginia ahead of the 2024 season. --Field Level Media
