Bay Area QB fights NCAA over eligibility in Tennessee court

A quarterback who started his college career in San Francisco now faces a courtroom battle that could determine whether he gets another season of Division I football.

Joey Aguilar appeared in Knox County Chancery Court on Friday for a preliminary injunction hearing in his lawsuit against the NCAA. The Tennessee quarterback wants another year of eligibility despite NCAA rules that count his time at California community colleges against his Division I career.

Chancellor Christopher D. Heagerty, who granted Aguilar a temporary restraining order last week, said he would rule soon on whether the quarterback can return to the Volunteers.

Aguilar’s path to Tennessee started in the Bay Area. He redshirted at City College of San Francisco in 2019 before the 2020 season was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. He then played at Diablo Valley Community College in Pleasant Hill from 2021-22 before transferring to Appalachian State for two seasons.

At Tennessee this past season, Aguilar completed 67.3% of his passes for 3,565 yards with 24 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

The lawsuit challenges NCAA rules that count seasons at junior colleges against players’ Division I eligibility. Aguilar argues he should get a fourth year of Division I football rather than having his community college years count against him.

Heagerty expressed concern that a Tennessee court decision could have national implications for college sports.

Aguilar’s attorney Cam Norris tried to narrow the scope during Friday’s hearing.

“This is not about taking spots from other players,” Norris said. “It’s not about how old you should be to play college football. This is not about the future of college football.”

NCAA attorney Taylor Askew defended the organization’s longstanding rules on junior college player eligibility, which he said have been agreed to by all member institutions.

Before finishing his arguments, Askew addressed Aguilar directly: “You’re a hero to kids in Knoxville. That doesn’t mean you can break the rules.”

Aguilar had initially joined a federal lawsuit filed by Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia challenging the same NCAA rule, but removed himself from that case to pursue his own legal strategy in Tennessee state court.

Even if the court rules in his favor, Aguilar faces another obstacle. He is still recovering from surgery to remove a benign tumor from his shoulder after the season ended.