Tennessee QB Aguilar Secures NCAA Eligibility TRO

Tennessee quarterback Joey Aguilar secured a temporary restraining order against the NCAA on Wednesday, halting enforcement of eligibility rules that would end his college career after three seasons at Division I programs. The ruling from Knox County Chancery Court in Tennessee provides Aguilar with a 15-day window to continue pursuing his bid for an additional year of play in the 2026 season.

Aguilar, 24, filed the lawsuit on February 2, arguing that his time at junior colleges should not count toward his NCAA eligibility clock. He redshirted at City College of San Francisco in 2019, had his 2020 season canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and played at Diablo Valley Community College in California from 2021 to 2022. He then transferred to Appalachian State for the 2023 and 2024 seasons before joining Tennessee, where he started all games in 2025. The NCAA counts seasons spent at junior colleges against a player's four-year Division I eligibility limit, a rule Aguilar is challenging as unfair to athletes who start their careers at lower levels.

Chancellor Christopher D. Heagerty granted the temporary order at 8:22 a.m. on February 4, stating that Aguilar had demonstrated a...