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Tennessee QB Joey Aguilar loses injunction in NCAA eligibility case
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- Tennessee QB Joey Aguilar loses injunction in NCAA eligibility case
Tennessee quarterback Joey Aguilar is ineligible to play college football after a Knoxville judge denied a preliminary injunction Feb. 20 that could've halted NCAA eligibility rules in his case.
It's a major victory for the NCAA. And it all but closes the door to Aguilar playing for the Vols in the 2026 season , which begins in September. He would need a speedy and successful appeal to reverse the order, which appears unlikely.
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The 24-year-old Aguilar could simply declare for the 2026 NFL Draft and try to extend his football career in the professional ranks. He will be at the NFL scouting combine on Feb. 27 in Indianapolis, an event he planned to attend whether the injunction was granted or denied.
Meanwhile, Tennessee has young quarterbacks ready to compete for the starting job in the 2026 season if Aguilar moves on.
Aguilar sued the NCAA in Knox County Chancery Court over its eligibility rules regarding former junior college players.
Aguilar, who started his career in junior college, sought to play one more college season. He has already spent seven years in college football, but only three seasons at NCAA member schools.
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Chancellor Chris Heagerty , a two-time UT graduate, initially granted Aguilar a 15-day restraining order against those NCAA rules and then extended it until his ruling on the injunction . But Heagerty denied Aguilar an injunction order, which would've served as a long-term measure for the quarterback.
Why did judge rule against Joey Aguilar case vs NCAA?
Heagerty, for all of his complimentary statements about Aguilar's football prowess in the courtroom , continually hammered his attorney, Cam Norris, to prove that there would be a significant damage to Aguilar or the state if he were denied.
Outside of the "approximately $2 million" in NIL money due to a returning Aguilar, Norris couldn't muster much of a response. This appeared to sway Heagerty heavily.
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"In fact, the Plaintiff (Aguilar) has repeatedly taken the position in this civil action that the requested relief would solely apply to him and not affect others. This argument seems to actually hurt the Plaintiff's chances to show sufficient evidence that the 'JUCO' rule affects Tennessee trade or commerce to a substantial degree."
Beyond that, Heagerty was not persuaded that the ruling would impact only Aguilar, as Norris claimed. Instead, Heagerty said other NCAA Division I athletes in a similar position might employ the same argument if Aguilar prevailed and that impact could cause "sweeping implications and cause significant ambiguity and uncertainty regarding the eligibility rules of the NCAA."
How NCAA reacted to Joey Aguilar decision
Attorney Taylor Askew , a UT law school graduate, represented the NCAA in the case. He is a Vols fan and professed his admiration for Aguilar during the injunction hearing. But Askew's appeal to the court was effective.
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"We have to say, 'Tennessee is better than this. We don't have to go to court to get our guy back. We don't have to play somebody who is ineligible under the rules to win games. We don't do that at Tennessee,'" Askew said during the hearing.
After the judge's ruling, Askew deferred comment to the NCAA when contacted by Knox News. The NCAA issued the following statement:
"The NCAA is thankful for the judge's decision today which demonstrates the court's consideration of eligibility standards and protecting access to collegiate experience for current and future student-athletes. We will continue to defend the NCAA's eligibility rules against attempts to circumvent foundational policies and hinder fair competition to all student-athletes. The NCAA is making changes to deliver more benefits to student-athletes and will continue to work with Congress to provide stability for all college athletes."
What Joey Aguilar court loss means for Tennessee quarterbacks
Unless Aguilar pulls off an improbable appeal, his college football career is over. That means Tennessee wasted time and attention hoping for its starting quarterback to regain his eligibility.
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Aguilar reenrolled at Tennessee , and he has been rehabbing after undergoing surgery on Jan. 2 to remove a benign tumor on his arm . According to his complaint in the lawsuit, UT held a spot available on the 2026 roster for Aguilar, as well as access to " approximately $2 million " in NIL money for the quarterback.
Meanwhile, Tennessee failed to land a premier starting quarterback in the transfer portal. Then coach Josh Heupel declared his support for Aguilar in a court brief.
Tennessee starts spring practice on March 16. Redshirt freshman George MacIntyre , five-star freshman Faizon Brandon and Colorado transfer Ryan Staub will compete for the starting quarterback job in the 2026 season unless Aguilar's eligibility status changes.
They must replace Aguilar, who led the SEC with 3,565 passing yards in 2025, the third most in a single season in UT history.
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Why Aguilar sued NCAA over its eligibility rules
The NCAA allows players to compete for four seasons within five years. And it counts junior college seasons toward that total and time period even though junior colleges are not part of the NCAA.
Aguilar argued that junior college competition shouldn't factor into NCAA seasons of eligibility or an athlete's eligibility clock because junior colleges are not part of the NCAA. But denying the injunction means the NCAA rule was upheld in his case.
In 2019, Aguilar redshirted at City College of San Francisco. In 2020, the COVID pandemic canceled his junior college season there. In 2021-22, he played two junior college seasons at Diablo Valley College.
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Then Aguilar's NCAA career began. In 2023-24, he played at Appalachian State. He transferred to UCLA for spring 2025, and then he transferred to Tennessee in an essential quarterback swap involving Nico Iamaleava.
Aguilar wanted the 2026 season to count as his fourth and final season of NCAA eligibility. Instead, he has exhausted his eligibility under NCAA rules.
Investigative reporter Tyler Whetstone contributed to this report.
Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.com . X, formerly known as Twitter @AdamSparks . Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe .
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Tennessee quarterback Joey Aguilar (6) looks towards the stands as he walks off the field after a loss to Illinois in the Music City Bowl on Dec. 30 in Nashville, Tennessee. A judge denied Aguilar's bid to return to college football in a court ruling Feb. 20.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee QB Joey Aguilar loses case vs NCAA for 2026 eligibility
