• Loading stock data...
Tuesday, July 8, 2025

NCAA Piles Up Three Wins in Baseball Eligibility Lawsuits

Two SEC players sought and failed to extend their careers this spring in the wake of Vanderbilt QB Diego Pavia winning the right to play in 2025.

Alberto Osuna
The Knoxville News-Sentinel

It may have taken a college football ref to give the NCAA a favorable call. 

In the past week, two judges in the South ruled against baseball players who were seeking temporary injunctions to extend their SEC careers. The players initially appeared to have a strong chance of winning after a judge granted Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia an injunction that will let him play another year of college football in 2025. Pavia argued that NCAA rules counting time in junior college violated federal antitrust law, and the judge in that case said his claims had a “strong likelihood of success” at trial.

After the injunction was granted in the Pavia case, the NCAA granted a blanket waiver in December to all athletes who would need it for the 2025–26 academic year. But that didn’t apply to this year, and with the baseball season starting in February, two players sued immediately.

Georgia outfielder Dylan Goldstein and Tennessee first baseman Alberto Osuna—both of whom played in junior college and were out of eligibility prior to the Pavia case—sought temporary injunctions against the NCAA, citing Pavia as precedent. 

Both lost and are likely finished with their Division I careers, although Goldstein’s loss came with a twist: Judge Tripp Self has a side gig as a college football ref.

Last week, Self declined to grant Goldstein the temporary restraining order that would have let him play, writing that “Goldstein does not have a likelihood of success” at trial. Days later, Goldstein’s lawyers filed a motion for voluntary dismissal, dropping the case entirely.

Between last week’s ruling and Tuesday’s motion, Goldstein’s lawyer Louis Cohan had filed a motion requesting the judge recuse himself from the case over because his reffing job meant that his “impartiality might reasonably be questioned.”

Cohan points out that Self lists “NCAA Football Official” in his Twitter bio. “He literally defines himself by that relationship” with the NCAA, Cohan told Front Office Sports in an email. “To Mr. Goldstein, it certainly seemed the Judge had a conflict of interest.” (Cohan added that, “Self is a good Judge and well respected.”)

Regardless of Self’s accused bias, Cohan saw the case as doomed once another judge in Tennessee issued a similar ruling. On Monday, slugger Alberto Osuna—who had played three years at North Carolina and a year at a community college—lost his bid for a restraining order that would have let him join college baseball’s defending champions.

“After the decision in Osuna, and given the timing and expense of continued litigation, dismissal seemed the only viable option,” Cohan told FOS.

The judge in Osuna’s case was more sympathetic, but came to the same conclusion.

“For an organization that professes to prioritize the well-being of its student-athletes, the NCAA’s conduct has in many ways been questionable at best and self-interested at worst,” Judge Charles Atley. “Still, Plaintiff’s extraordinary talents cannot alone justify the extraordinary remedy he seeks.”

Unlike Goldstein, Osuna may keep pressing his case, though he’s unlikely to get a legal remedy in time for this season. A lawyer for Osuna told media outlets,“We are weighing our options.”

The NCAA declined to comment on either case. In the Goldstein case, its lawyer argued that the outfielder was “opportunistically trying to take advantage” of the Pavia situation.

In a longer-shot case last month, Trey Ciulla-Hall sought an injunction letting him play at Maryland after spending four years at Division II Stonehill. In addition to an antitrust complaint, Ciulla-Hall cited confusion over DII and DIII eligibility rules during the pandemic. He lost that case as well.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Breanna Stewart

WNBA Players Call League Proposal For Fixed Salary Cap Inadequate  

The league’s collective bargaining agreement expires in less than four months.
Louis, Missouri, UNITED STATES; Penn State Nittany Lions forward Nicholas DeGraves (17) celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal against the Boston University Terriers during the third period of the Frozen Four college ice hockey national semifinals at Enterprise Center

Gavin McKenna’s Penn State Commitment Cements College Hockey Supremacy

Gavin McKenna’s Penn State decision signals hockey’s rising stars now prefer NCAA.
A helmt is seen during the Texas Tech football team's spring game, Saturday, April 19, 2025, at Jones AT&T Stadium.

CFB’s Revenue-Sharing Era Muddles Future of NIL, Adds PE Questions

Athletic departments can pay college athletes a combined $20.5 million this year.
Jul 6, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Mexico forward Marcel Ruiz (14) heads the ball in front of United States midfielder Brenden Aaronson (11) in the second half during the 2025 Gold Cup Final at NRG Stadium.

USMNT Struggles Still Produce Big Gold Cup Ratings for Fox

The U.S. team’s recent issues culminated in a loss to Mexico.

Featured Today

American Celebs Want to Be Sports Owners. Soccer Is Where They Start

As U.S. team prices climb, investors set their sights abroad.
July 5, 2025

Baseball’s Celebrity Row: Behind MLB’s First-Pitch Ritual

Often planned, sometimes spontaneous, the ritual throw is baseball’s celebrity row.
July 4, 2025

3,000 Hot Dogs, $20K in Prizes: Behind the Nathan’s Eating Contest

Nathan’s serves up thousands of hot dogs and $20,000 in prize money.
July 3, 2025

Geoffrey Esper Can’t Catch a Break at Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest

“Hot dogs is not one of my favorite competitions of the year.”
Nov 30, 2024; Lubbock, Texas, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders running back Tahj Brooks (28) runs the ball against West Virginia Mountaineers defensive back Anthony Wilson Jr. (12) in the second half at Jones AT&T Stadium and Cody Campbell Field.

Felix Ojo’s Agent Says Texas Tech Offered $5.1M At Start of Rev-Share..

Texas Tech secured Ojo with a seven-figure NIL commitment.
July 3, 2025

Everything You Need to Know About EA’s Return to College Basketball Video..

There hasn’t been a college basketball game in more than 15 years.
July 6, 2025

Revenue-Sharing Chaos Begins as Texas Tech Secures Five-Star OT

The Red Raiders spent more than $10 million in the winter transfer portal.
Sponsored

Hottest Matchups Following NFL Schedule Release

The NFL released the 2025 regular-season schedule, and anticipation is already building in the ticket marketplace with four months to go.
Ohio State
July 1, 2025

Collectives Funnel $20 Million to College Athletes on Last Day Before Revenue..

Collectives frontloaded payments just before the revenue sharing era begins July 1.
July 1, 2025

Big Ten Commish Still Pushes for 4 Auto CFP Bids in 16-Team..

The conference wants four guaranteed spots in the Playoff.
June 30, 2025

College Sports Revenue-Sharing Underway As More Changes Loom

July 1 marks the first day schools can directly pay players.
June 30, 2025

Pac-12 Hits Football Membership Threshold With Texas State Entry

The school is paying $5 million to leave the Sun Belt Conference.