We are now a full week removed from Tennessee football quarterback Joey Aguilar’s hearing in front of Judge Chris Heagerty. Aguilar and the NCAA’s representatives fielded questions in a courtroom in Knoxville from Heagerty as Aguilar argued he should have one final year to play college football.
Aguilar’s argument stems from a previous ruling by the NCAA that gave former junior college players who were out of eligibility after the 2024-25 athletic year one more season. Aguilar argues that since he played two years at the junior college level, he should be granted NCAA eligibility for both. He also claims financial harm.
After Heagerty heard both sides, he announced he would not be ruling from the bench, but a decision would come in short order. As of Friday, Feb. 20, at 12:45 p.m. ET, he has not publicly made a decision. His choices are to grant an injunction to Aguilar, which would allow him to play next season, or to deny it and keep him ineligible.
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There was a sense of cautious optimism about the case heading into the hearing, but multiple legal analysts have weighed in afterward with not as bright news for Aguilar’s side. College football insider Chris Low shared what he was hearing during an appearance on 3HL on 104.5 The Zone out of Nashville on Tuesday.
“Just based on some of the people I’ve talked to who have been a part of some of these hearings, sports eligibility type deals, I think there’s a better chance that he doesn’t (win) than he does,” Low said. “But who am I to predict how something is going to go down in court. And whatever happens, and I mean this sincerely, I don’t know Judge Heagerty personally, but in watching and listening and reading, it’s very clear that he is not trying to be – and there were some jokes about it, even the NCAA lawyer said he’s a Vols fan. The guy that was defending the NCAA. There were some jokes made.
“But it was very clear that Judge Heagerty was not going to be portrayed as this orange and white pom-pom shaking judge. He’s (not) going to sort of just rubber-stamp this thing and say, oh yeah, we’re going to rule in your favor just because it’s here.”
With a decision still looming, Aguilar is also set to attend the upcoming NFL Scouting Combine. He will attend for just 48 hours, though, keeping potential eligibility intact if he does get granted an injunction.
