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Tennessee quarterback Joey Aguilar's preliminary injunction hearing takes place in a Knoxville courtroom on Feb. 13, as a defining day for the 2026 Vols football season.
Aguilar sued the NCAA over its eligibility rules regarding former junior college players. The 24-year-old is seeking to regain his NCAA eligibility so he can play one more season at UT.
If the judge grants the injunction, it paves the way for Aguilar to play the 2026 season. If the injunction is denied, UT likely must move on without him. But there’s some gray area to consider in either outcome.
Here’s what you need to know about the hearing.
The hearing is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. ET on Feb. 13 in Knox County Chancery Court.
It’s a small courtroom that’ll probably be filled with media members covering the hearing. Aguilar is expected to attend. The judge has granted limited TV cameras and photography in the room, including Knox News.
Chancellor Chris Heagerty will review affidavits, consider arguments from both attorneys and possibly hear expert testimony. The hearing could take less than an hour or all afternoon.
Heagerty has the option to make a bench ruling at the end of the hearing, but it’s more likely that he issues an order hours or days later.
Heagerty, a well-respected chancellor since 2021, will preside over the hearing.
He received his bachelor’s and law degrees from University of Tennessee. He began teaching as an adjunct professor at the school’s Winston College of Law in the fall.
All three Knox County chancellors have degrees from UT. Cases are assigned to chancellors. They do not select what cases they will hear.
Tennessee judges who serve in chancery courts are called chancellors. They largely handle items related to contract and property boundary disputes, divorces, adoptions and trusts.
Knox News could not determine whether Heagerty is a UT donor or season-ticket holder. Donations to state universities are not a public record in Tennessee after a significant and successful effort by UT to change state law to shield donors. An athletics department spokesman said UT does not disclose any information about season-ticket holders, including their identities.
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. Under that interpretation, Aguilar has played three NCAA seasons in three years, so he'd have one season remaining.
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.
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 is seeking to play the 2026 season as his final season of NCAA eligibility.
Heagerty’s language was favorable to Aguilar in a 15-day restraining order against NCAA eligibility rules, but that was only a temporary measure.
If the injunction is granted, it opens the door to Aguilar playing for the Vols in the 2026 season, which begins in September. Only a speedy and successful appeal by the NCAA could reverse the order, and those odds would be in Aguilar's favor.
If the injunction is denied, it would all but close the door to Aguilar playing for the Vols. He also could appeal the ruling or simply start preparing for the 2026 NFL Draft and try to extend his football career in the professional ranks.
Aguilar’s attorney, Cam Norris, practices law for the Consovoy McCarthy firm in Arlington, Virginia, but he lives in Knoxville. He graduated from Vanderbilt Law School.
In 2024, Norris successfully argued on behalf of the Tennessee attorney general’s office in UT's defense against an NCAA probe over NIL rules and its recruitment of quarterback Iamaleava. In that case, the state of Tennessee argued the NCAA rules regarding NIL benefits violated antitrust laws.
Norris' argument was effective. A federal judge suspended NCAA rules regarding NIL benefits for athletes, and the NCAA dropped its investigation into UT and Iamaleava.
NCAA attorney Taylor Askew, a UT law school graduate, grew up in Knoxville. He was a four-sport standout at Webb School and a multiyear starter on the Tennessee Tech football team as an offensive lineman.
Askew works for Holland & Knight, a firm in Nashville, which has defended the NCAA in several lawsuits. He represented the NCAA against Charles Bediako, a G League basketball player who returned to Alabama and briefly played for the Crimson Tide. On Feb. 9, a judge in Tuscaloosa Circuit Court denied Bediako’s request for a temporary injunction, making him ineligible.
Askew, as the NCAA’s attorney, has opposed UT’s interests in previous cases involving basketball player Zakai Zeigler, baseball player Alberto Osuna and Iamaleava. The NCAA was successful in denying eligibility to Zeigler and Osuna, but it failed in restricting Iamaleava’s NIL rights.
Aguilar is 24 years old. His birthday is June 16, 2001. That means he will be 25 when next football season begins.
Aguilar’s age isn’t directly relevant to the legal argument in his lawsuit. But it plays a part in public opinion because some fans think players in their mid-20s are too old to play college football.
Older players have become more common in college football because lucrative NIL contracts are available to them. Some pay more than their projected NFL deals, which is likely the case for Aguilar. He is a successful college quarterback but not a premier NFL prospect.
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 has a spot available on the 2026 roster for Aguilar, as well as access to "approximately $2 million" in NIL money for the quarterback.
The most coveted quarterbacks in the portal would’ve cost UT an estimated $3 million to $6 million. Aguilar, if eligible, would come at a relative discount.
According to his complaint, the 2025 season was the “first time that Aguilar earned significant money for playing football. From 2019 to 2023, he earned nothing. But in one season at Tennessee, Aguilar earned over $1 million.”
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.
If Aguilar is eligible, he’ll remain UT’s starting quarterback. He led the SEC with 3,565 passing yards in 2025, the third most in a single season in UT history.
If Aguilar is ineligible, 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.
Tennessee starts spring practice on March 16.
Aguilar was previously a plaintiff in the Diego Pavia federal lawsuit challenging the NCAA's eligibility rules for former junior college players. On Jan. 30, Aguilar separated from that case and filed his own lawsuit in state court.
There was a preliminary injunction hearing on Feb. 10 in Nashville, but there’s been no ruling.
Pavia, who initially filed the lawsuit, will not return to college next season, even if his case is successful. He has declared for the 2026 NFL Draft. However, 25 additional players remain as plaintiffs.
If the Pavia case fails, Aguilar would not be bound by its ruling. Therefore, he could still be successful in state court.
If the Pavia case succeeds, Aguilar would not gain eligibility immediately because he's no longer a plaintiff. However, language of a preliminary injunction presumably would be broad enough for Pavia to file a federal action in the same court that would have the effect of a class action suit, applying to former junior college players with the same fact pattern as Pavia. That would include Aguilar.
Bediako, the former G League player, failed to get an injunction in a Tuscaloosa court. He is now ineligible to play for Alabama.
That may seem like the tide is turning in favor of the NCAA. Remember that Askew, the NCAA attorney in the Aguilar case, also represented the NCAA against Bediako.
But the two cases are very different. Bediako wanted to return to college after playing professionally. Aguilar has only played in college.
Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email [email protected]. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing atknoxnews.com/subscribe.
Get the latest news and insight on SEC football by subscribing to the SEC Unfiltered newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Joey Aguilar live updates, Tennessee vs NCAA eligibility hearing
Continue reading...
Aguilar sued the NCAA over its eligibility rules regarding former junior college players. The 24-year-old is seeking to regain his NCAA eligibility so he can play one more season at UT.
If the judge grants the injunction, it paves the way for Aguilar to play the 2026 season. If the injunction is denied, UT likely must move on without him. But there’s some gray area to consider in either outcome.
Here’s what you need to know about the hearing.
When, where is Joey Aguilar injunction hearing?
The hearing is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. ET on Feb. 13 in Knox County Chancery Court.
It’s a small courtroom that’ll probably be filled with media members covering the hearing. Aguilar is expected to attend. The judge has granted limited TV cameras and photography in the room, including Knox News.
Chancellor Chris Heagerty will review affidavits, consider arguments from both attorneys and possibly hear expert testimony. The hearing could take less than an hour or all afternoon.
Heagerty has the option to make a bench ruling at the end of the hearing, but it’s more likely that he issues an order hours or days later.
Who is the judge overseeing Joey Aguilar hearing?
Heagerty, a well-respected chancellor since 2021, will preside over the hearing.
He received his bachelor’s and law degrees from University of Tennessee. He began teaching as an adjunct professor at the school’s Winston College of Law in the fall.
All three Knox County chancellors have degrees from UT. Cases are assigned to chancellors. They do not select what cases they will hear.
Tennessee judges who serve in chancery courts are called chancellors. They largely handle items related to contract and property boundary disputes, divorces, adoptions and trusts.
Knox News could not determine whether Heagerty is a UT donor or season-ticket holder. Donations to state universities are not a public record in Tennessee after a significant and successful effort by UT to change state law to shield donors. An athletics department spokesman said UT does not disclose any information about season-ticket holders, including their identities.
Why Joey Aguilar sued NCAA over 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. Under that interpretation, Aguilar has played three NCAA seasons in three years, so he'd have one season remaining.
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.
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 is seeking to play the 2026 season as his final season of NCAA eligibility.
What happens if Joey Aguilar wins or loses injunction?
Heagerty’s language was favorable to Aguilar in a 15-day restraining order against NCAA eligibility rules, but that was only a temporary measure.
If the injunction is granted, it opens the door to Aguilar playing for the Vols in the 2026 season, which begins in September. Only a speedy and successful appeal by the NCAA could reverse the order, and those odds would be in Aguilar's favor.
If the injunction is denied, it would all but close the door to Aguilar playing for the Vols. He also could appeal the ruling or simply start preparing for the 2026 NFL Draft and try to extend his football career in the professional ranks.
Joey Aguilar attorney previously beat NCAA in court
Aguilar’s attorney, Cam Norris, practices law for the Consovoy McCarthy firm in Arlington, Virginia, but he lives in Knoxville. He graduated from Vanderbilt Law School.
In 2024, Norris successfully argued on behalf of the Tennessee attorney general’s office in UT's defense against an NCAA probe over NIL rules and its recruitment of quarterback Iamaleava. In that case, the state of Tennessee argued the NCAA rules regarding NIL benefits violated antitrust laws.
Norris' argument was effective. A federal judge suspended NCAA rules regarding NIL benefits for athletes, and the NCAA dropped its investigation into UT and Iamaleava.
NCAA attorney is UT grad who opposed Vols’ lawsuits
NCAA attorney Taylor Askew, a UT law school graduate, grew up in Knoxville. He was a four-sport standout at Webb School and a multiyear starter on the Tennessee Tech football team as an offensive lineman.
Askew works for Holland & Knight, a firm in Nashville, which has defended the NCAA in several lawsuits. He represented the NCAA against Charles Bediako, a G League basketball player who returned to Alabama and briefly played for the Crimson Tide. On Feb. 9, a judge in Tuscaloosa Circuit Court denied Bediako’s request for a temporary injunction, making him ineligible.
Askew, as the NCAA’s attorney, has opposed UT’s interests in previous cases involving basketball player Zakai Zeigler, baseball player Alberto Osuna and Iamaleava. The NCAA was successful in denying eligibility to Zeigler and Osuna, but it failed in restricting Iamaleava’s NIL rights.
What is Joey Aguilar’s age?
Aguilar is 24 years old. His birthday is June 16, 2001. That means he will be 25 when next football season begins.
Aguilar’s age isn’t directly relevant to the legal argument in his lawsuit. But it plays a part in public opinion because some fans think players in their mid-20s are too old to play college football.
Older players have become more common in college football because lucrative NIL contracts are available to them. Some pay more than their projected NFL deals, which is likely the case for Aguilar. He is a successful college quarterback but not a premier NFL prospect.
Joey Aguilar NIL pay from Tennessee if he plays in 2026
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 has a spot available on the 2026 roster for Aguilar, as well as access to "approximately $2 million" in NIL money for the quarterback.
The most coveted quarterbacks in the portal would’ve cost UT an estimated $3 million to $6 million. Aguilar, if eligible, would come at a relative discount.
According to his complaint, the 2025 season was the “first time that Aguilar earned significant money for playing football. From 2019 to 2023, he earned nothing. But in one season at Tennessee, Aguilar earned over $1 million.”
Who are Tennessee’s quarterbacks besides Aguilar?
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.
If Aguilar is eligible, he’ll remain UT’s starting quarterback. He led the SEC with 3,565 passing yards in 2025, the third most in a single season in UT history.
If Aguilar is ineligible, 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.
Tennessee starts spring practice on March 16.
How does Diego Pavia lawsuit impact Aguilar eligibility?
Aguilar was previously a plaintiff in the Diego Pavia federal lawsuit challenging the NCAA's eligibility rules for former junior college players. On Jan. 30, Aguilar separated from that case and filed his own lawsuit in state court.
There was a preliminary injunction hearing on Feb. 10 in Nashville, but there’s been no ruling.
Pavia, who initially filed the lawsuit, will not return to college next season, even if his case is successful. He has declared for the 2026 NFL Draft. However, 25 additional players remain as plaintiffs.
If the Pavia case fails, Aguilar would not be bound by its ruling. Therefore, he could still be successful in state court.
If the Pavia case succeeds, Aguilar would not gain eligibility immediately because he's no longer a plaintiff. However, language of a preliminary injunction presumably would be broad enough for Pavia to file a federal action in the same court that would have the effect of a class action suit, applying to former junior college players with the same fact pattern as Pavia. That would include Aguilar.
Does Charles Bediako loss in court affect Aguilar?
Bediako, the former G League player, failed to get an injunction in a Tuscaloosa court. He is now ineligible to play for Alabama.
That may seem like the tide is turning in favor of the NCAA. Remember that Askew, the NCAA attorney in the Aguilar case, also represented the NCAA against Bediako.
But the two cases are very different. Bediako wanted to return to college after playing professionally. Aguilar has only played in college.
Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email [email protected]. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing atknoxnews.com/subscribe.
Get the latest news and insight on SEC football by subscribing to the SEC Unfiltered newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Joey Aguilar live updates, Tennessee vs NCAA eligibility hearing
Continue reading...
