How a NCAA ruling about JUCOs may lead to a big change in college baseball

College baseball may be changing forever. 

In early November, Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia sued the NCAA over a dispute about the organization's bylaws. He argued that his time in a junior college program should not count toward his four years of eligibility. 

Pavia alleged that the two-year decrease at the Division I level violated the Sherman Antitrust Act and limited his earnings from name, image, likeness. 

On Dec. 18, Tennessee District Court judge William Campbell granted Pavia an injunction, which will allow him a sixth year of eligibility. The following week, the NCAA board voted to appeal the court’s ruling, but granted all athletes a waiver for the upcoming year if they had attended a JUCO. 

Although the ruling is not finalized, its potential impact on collegiate sports could be widespread. Within the landscape of college baseball, such changes could alter recruiting priority, increase age and experience of rosters and shape relationship dynamics between programs like North Carolina and high-level JUCOs. 

UNC baseball head coach Scott Forbes and his staff are monitoring the situation closely, eager to understand its implications. 

“We're still waiting on all that, but it's going to affect [college baseball] for sure,” Forbes said. 

It’s likely the ruling would impact JUCO transfers in one of two ways.

First, a breakout star could use his success at a JUCO to join a high-major D1 program before raising his stock and, potentially, go to the MLB. 

This was the case for former Diamond Heel pitcher Cooper Criswell, who in one season recorded a 6-2 record with a 2.99 ERA before getting drafted in the 13th round the following summer. 

This year, Forbes hopes JUCO transfer Rom Kellis will follow in Criswell's footsteps. Kellis can continue his elite batting numbers from Florence-Darlington Technical College at UNC for professional exposure. 

“My hope is Rom Kellis comes in here, hits 25 home runs, and gets drafted in the third round and he signs,” Forbes said. “Because if he gets drafted in the third round and hits 25 home runs, we're going to have a great year.” 

The other way the ruling could impact JUCO transfers is if a player struggles in their transition from JUCO to North Carolina while still benefitting from increased eligibility. 

The return of senior infielder Jackson Van De Brake for a fifth season of college baseball is one such instance. Prior to UNC, he spent two years at Tacoma Community College. 

After a great batting year his junior season, where Van De Brake hit for .307 with eight home runs, he fell into a slump in 2024. But, with the use of the waiver rule from Pavia’s situation, Van De Brake was granted another year of eligibility.

“[The ruling] will just make JUCO baseball better than it ever has been,” Van De Brake said. “More guys will be there. College baseball will be older than it already is. I honestly think it will be good.” 

The Diamond Heels often recruit players from premier junior college program Walters State. The likes of Jake Knapp, Alberto Osuna, Max Riemer and Gage Gillian are all current or former UNC players that spent time at Walters State, creating a recruiting pipeline for North Carolina. 

Despite this, according to Walters State head coach David Shelton, the ruling's unpredictable finalization creates uncertainty as to how it may impact programs. 

“Who knows what the rules are going to be six months from now?” Shelton said. “It's almost as if the NCAA can't make up their mind on what the rules are.” 

The Diamond Heels are weighing their options with the murky future ahead and it leaves Forbes with a question: “Is it a need?”

For now, not necessarily.

But as the ruling inches closer to a final decision, the Walters State-UNC relationship may prove more valuable than ever before.

@cadeshoemaker23

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