Former Tennessee quarterbackJoey Aguilarhas lost his fight against the NCAA for an additional year of eligibility, thanks to a preliminary injunction being denied by a Knoxville Chancellor.
After filing a lawsuit in search of a sixth year of college football, based on the fact that he played two years at the JUCO level, Aguilar was actually granted a TRO in the case when first filed. But, Chancellor Chris Heagerty clearly did not hear enough evidence from the plaintiff to grant him a preliminary injunction.
If you were wondering, this case was certainly different than Charles Bediako and Trinidad Chambliss, in many ways. Joey had also sued the NCAA with the intention of focusing on lost revenue if he weren't allowed to play another year of college football.
But, the problem was that his attorneys could not provide enough actual proof of what the current NIL market looked like, especially when it came to what other athletes were making across college athletics.
It was at this moment last Friday that the proceedings turned, since there is no actual proof that can be provided to the court. This quickly went from a case about JUCO rules, to financial losses that both Aguilar and the University of Tennessee would face if they did not have their starting quarterback return for the 2026 season.
We had terms like "Labor Market Harm" and "Consumer Market Harm." But neither of those can be justified without actual proof, or some type of contractual evidence. Even Chancellor Heagerty pointed out that without data, how would he be able to make an informed decision on what the actual financial ramifications would be for Aguilar?
"I can't base my decision on conjecture and speculation," Heagerty said to Aguilar's attorney, Cam Norris. "You don't hand them (injunctions) out like popcorn. So tell me what proof you have to show me that the harm in this case, who I respect a great deal, and how it's going to affect him."
Yes, Aguilar could file an appeal, but judging on the lack of evidence presented in court last week, I have a hard time thinking he would actually win.
NCAA Defeats Joey Aguilar In Eligibility Lawsuit, Tennessee QB Loses Bid For 2026 Return
Folks on the outside might have thought this would be a home-court advantage type of case for the now former Tennessee quarterback. But, Chancellor Heagerty made it clear during his questioning of both sides that he was not going to be swayed by his Tennessee fandom.
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