Vanderbilt Quarterback Diego Pavia Appeals to Trump for College Playoff Expansion
Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia is taking his ambitions for the Commodores to the highest level, directly addressing President Trump in a bid for College Football Playoff (CFP) expansion.
On December 2, after the playoff selection committee released its rankings, Pavia, 24, expressed his desire for a broader playoff format. The Commodores found themselves ranked 14th, just outside the 12-team playoff field.
“MAKE THE EXECUTIVE ORDER PLEASE,” Pavia tweeted, referencing a suggestion from college football analyst Brooks Austin advocating for a 16-team playoff that would include four automatic bids from the Southeastern Conference, where Vanderbilt competes.
Despite a convincing 45-24 victory over No. 19 Tennessee in their last game, Vanderbilt's ranking did not improve. Ironically, this win may have diminished their postseason prospects; with Tennessee dropping out of the rankings, the committee viewed Vanderbilt's victory as lacking significance.
Committee chair Hunter Yurachek, also the athletic director at the University of Arkansas, explained this reasoning to college football insider Alaina Morris. “Now that Tennessee is no longer ranked, they just don’t have a signature win,” he stated.
Morris relayed Yurachek’s comments via X, questioning whether Vanderbilt was being penalized for their decisive win over a now-unranked opponent. “So because Vanderbilt beat Tennessee so bad that it fell out of the rankings, it’s essentially a punishment?” she asked.
As of Wednesday afternoon, Trump had not responded to Pavia’s appeal. However, he has previously voiced strong opinions on football matters. In a November appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, he criticized the NFL’s new kickoff rules aimed at enhancing player safety.
“I hate the new kickoff in football,” Trump remarked. “I think it’s so terrible, I think it’s so demeaning, and I think it hurts the game.” He expressed his belief that the changes do not enhance safety and detract from the sport's excitement.
With a 6-2 conference record, Vanderbilt will not compete in the SEC championship game, concluding their regular season without further opportunities to improve their playoff standing.
Following the victory over Tennessee, head coach Clark Lea advocated for his team’s inclusion in the playoff discussion, labeling their 10-2 season as “a great story in college football.”
“To do anything other than allow these guys to compete for it all would be an injustice to the work they’ve done,” Lea asserted during a media briefing.
Pavia's individual performance this season has been remarkable. As a Heisman candidate, he has amassed 3,192 passing yards and 27 touchdowns. He set a school record with 484 passing yards in a single game against Kentucky on November 22.
“You look at the numbers, you look at what we have here and obviously we did something that’s never been done,” Pavia reflected after the Kentucky game. “It’s just a blessing being on this stage, something I’ve dreamed about since I was a kid.”
