Decision on Vandy QB leads to ex-JUCO players gaining eligibility

Barbara Koehler’s senior season brought many memories, which included winning the ASUN Tournament title with Florida Gulf Coast and playing in the NCAA Tournament. That season came to an end in the first round when the Eagles lost to Marquette in three sets.

“It was almost a conclusion of a cycle,” Koehler said. “So I was sad in the moment losing the game. Wished we had gone farther through the tournament. But it was an exciting conclusion for me as a person and that I was so grateful for all the moments college brought me.”

But Koehler’s college career might not be over yet. The former Florida Southwestern State volleyball player is one of the athletes that benefits from the NCAA blanket waiver to former junior college athletes, who completed their eligibility this year, that gives them one more year to compete at the college level.

That’s because a federal judge in Tennessee awarded an injunction to Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia that gives him an extra year of college football. Pavia argued that the NCAA counting the time he spent at the JUCO level towards his total eligibility is a violation of antitrust law.

While the decision to grant former JUCO athletes another year in college is just for this year, FSW athletic director George Sanders was asked by WINK News if he thinks changes could come in the future with how eligibility is counted.

Sanders answered, “I think it’ll be circumstantial because I don’t think they can completely block us that way. We would have to in turn change our rules for it to completely come into play. Now that could happen based on what they do because their decisions typically drive some of our decisions. But right now we’re looking at the opportunity to be feeder programs give the students an opportunity to get started.”

Koehler said she’s not sure if she’s going to return to the court.

“My mind was so built on finishing last semester,” Koehler explained. “My life was kind of planned on that. But you know sometimes plans don’t always work the way that we want. And that’s the fun about life.”