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NCAA releases statement after TRO ruling on Tennessee QB Joey Aguilar eligibility case

IMG_6598by: Nick Kosko02/04/26nickkosko59

The NCAA released a statement following the temporary restraining order ruling on Tennessee QB Joey Aguilar’s eligibility case. Aguilar is one step closer to playing a sixth year of college football in 2026.

The statement in its entirety can be read below. The NCAA claimed they wanted to defend their eligibility rules against “repeated attempts to rob high school athletes.”

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“This outcome – after the plaintiff withdrew from a federal lawsuit and separately filed a lawsuit in state court with the exact same facts – illustrates the impossible situation created by differing court decisions that serve to undermine rules agreed to by the same NCAA members who later challenge them in court,” the statement read. “We will continue to defend the NCAA’s eligibility rules against repeated attempts to rob high school students of the opportunity to compete in college and experience the life-changing opportunities only college sports can create. The NCAA and its member schools are making changes to deliver more benefits to student-athletes, but the patchwork of state laws and inconsistent, conflicting court decisions make partnering with Congress essential to provide stability for all college athletes.”

Joey Aguilar receives TRO in eligibility case, NCAA fires back

Aguilar played his fifth season of college football this past season. However, the first two were spent at the junior college level. He played for Diablo Valley Community College in central California before transferring to Appalachian State for his first two seasons of Division I college football.

He’d end up with the Volunteers in 2025, and is now seeking a fourth season at the D-I level. If he wins the suit and is granted an extra year of eligibility, 2026 would be Aguilar’s his sixth season overall.

The news of the lawsuit comes days after Aguilar was granted a voluntary dismissal as a plaintiff in the Diego Pavia eligibility lawsuit. He had previously joined the suit as a plaintiff in November. If he had not been voluntarily dismissed, Aguilar and 25 other student-athletes were set to see their date in court on Feb. 10th through an extension of Pavia’s lawsuit.

During his lone season so far at Tennessee, Aguilar helped lead Tennessee to an 8-5 finish in 2025. He finished the season with 3,565 passing yards, 24 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He added four more touchdowns on the ground. His passing yards total was good for 12th best in the country this past season.

Before he arrived in Knoxville, he played 25 games for Appalachian State. There, he logged 6,760 yards, 56 touchdowns and 24 interceptions over 25 appearances.