Joey Aguilar’s college football future now hangs in the balance, and so does nearly $1 million. The Tennessee quarterback has filed a lawsuit against the NCAA, challenging its eligibility rules after players like Charles Bediako and Trinidad Chambliss voiced similar concerns. Aguilar isn’t just fighting for another season on the field, but he’s also battling to resolve lingering complications tied to his final year of eligibility.

Tennessee’s Joey Aguilar filed a lawsuit against the NCAA in Knox County Chancery Court on February 2nd for an extra year of eligibility. However, with spring games and NFL drafts looming, Aguilar also needs a temporary restraining order to block the NCAA’s rules. This injunction would allow him to seek a long-term order to play in 2026 while the case proceeds, a point echoed by On3 analyst Andy Staples.

“What you want is a temporary restraining order or an injunction that says, until this is dealt with, until we come to a conclusion of this case, the NCAA is not allowed to enforce its rules,” On3’s Andy Staples said on the Andy & Ari On3 podcast.

Joey Aguilar’s legal battle revolves around the NCAA counting junior college seasons in their eligibility timeline, even though the JUCO programs are not part of it. Looking at Aguilar’s career, he started at City College of San Francisco, then redshirted in 2019, lost the 2020 season to COVID, and later played two seasons at Diablo Valley College from 2021 to 2022.

After that, his college football career took off, playing at App State in 2023. He transferred to UCLA before ultimately landing at Tennessee, a move connected to the quarterback landscape involving Nico Iamaleava. So, with all the timelines, Aguilar argues that because he played just three seasons at the NCAA program, he must get one last one.

Aguilar, according to the legal document of the lawsuit, made a significant amount of money for the first time in his football career in 2025. The sum was reported to be about $1 million. But if he loses the battle against the NCAA, the quarterback might also lose his chance to earn double the amount this year with Tennessee.

“If the Court granted Aguilar relief from the NCAA’s JUCO rule in the near term, Tennessee has a spot for him on the roster and would welcome him back,” Aguilar’s complaint said. “His compensation for playing college football in 2026 would be approximately $2 million.”

Aguilar’s win means a lot for Tennessee, as currently, they lack an experienced QB on the team. The team has George MacIntyre, Faizon Brandon, and Ryan Staub, which thinks their QB depth before the 2026 season.

What’s interesting is that after Diego Pavia’s lawsuit for an extra year of eligibility last year, the NCAA started a temporary blanket waiver in which players who were in JUCO will get an extra year of eligibility. With Pavia, even Colorado’s cornerback Preston Hodge got another year of eligibility, as he was also from a JUCO college. But despite knowing Aguilar’s situation, which is just the same as theirs, the NCAA is stopping him from playing for one last season.

But did you know that Aguilar and Pavia were involved in the same legal challenge? Here’s what we know.

Joey Aguilar and Diego Pavia are in the same battle

Yes, Joey Aguilar and Diego Pavia were fighting against the same rule, but the timelines are different. Aguilar was previously part of Diego Pavia’s federal lawsuit, which challenged the NCAA rule that counts JUCO seasons against Division I eligibility. Pavia did win the preliminary injunction that allowed him to play in 2025, but that didn’t last for long.

Aguilar withdrew his name from Pavia’s lawsuit and filed a new one altogether to make his case stronger. But now, even if one of them wins the waiver, it will be a win for Joey Aguilar. More than 25 players are waiting for February 10. For the final hearing, the judge could pause the NCAA’s JUCO rule against its 5-year eligibility criteria.

If the court rules against Diego Pavia, Joey Aguilar will still be able to fight for eligibility through his own lawsuit. The outcome of these lawsuits could set a significant precedent for how the NCAA calculates eligibility for all athletes with a junior college background.