Pat McQuaide is Villanova’s starting quarterback — for now. Here’s a look at the legal fight over his eligibility.

[u/MrCelluloid]

https://www.inquirer.com/college-sports/villanova/pat-mcquaide-eligible-villanova-qb-ncaa-rules-patriot-league-20260829.html

[u/passwordisguest]

I really hope the Patriot League forces the issue and makes Villanova forfeit any conference wins Nova manages to get with McQuaide starting.

It's nothing against the guy or the Wildcats, but if we reach a point where individual conferences are not able to enforce their own rules that have been set and agreed to by all of the member schools then what are we even doing?

Particularly because this isn't some "we hate the players and want to control things" type rule from the conference. It's established explicitly because not every conference member school offers a grad program and they wanted to make sure internal conference competition is kept fair to everyone.

I don't care at all if McQuaide suits up for every non-conference game and helps them win. Good for Nova at that point (although man what a vote of no-confidence to their backup). But in conference the Patriot should be able to establish their rules to maintain parity as they see fit.

Villanova joined the Patriot knowing of the rule. McQuaide chose to stay at Villanova knowing the Patriot's rule. That should be the end of it (the NCAA eligibility being completely separate and unrelated). He should be considered ineligible in any conference matchup and the team should be penalized accordingly if they play him in those games.

[u/MrCelluloid → u/passwordisguest]

It's very strange how NCAAF rules are getting uprooted by lawsuits and local judges across the board.

[u/damnyoutuesday → u/passwordisguest]

IANAL, but I think Villanova's defense is even worse than a long time conference member because they literally joined this year, fully knowing what they were signing up for.

If Pat wants to play anywhere else, I wouldn't have an issue. But he very clearly wanted to sue a league with strict eligibility rules that he knew before his team joined the conference

[u/VillanOvaReaction → u/passwordisguest]

The Patriot League allows 5th years now. We have others on our roster and it’s not an issue.

McQuaide sued to get his Juco year to not count. It’s the same as Pavia. The difference is the Patriot put up a fight where the SEC didn’t.

[u/passwordisguest → u/VillanOvaReaction]

As I understand it, they only allow 5th year (undergraduate or graduate) for medical redshirting or other hardships. Villanova and McQuaide have known he doesn’t meet the conference’s criteria (which, again, are not the same as the NCAA’s rules.)

From the Patriot League:

A student-athlete shall complete
their seasons of participation within four calendar years from the beginning of the semester or quarter in which the student-athlete first registered for a minimum full-time program of studies in a collegiate institution. “Athletic redshirting” (holding a student out of competition as an underclassman for the express purpose of saving a year of NCAA eligibility for a fifth year of enrollment) is prohibited. Patriot League eligibility policies apply to all League and non- League competition.

For purposes of starting the count of time under the four-year rule, a student-athlete shall be considered registered at a collegiate institution (domestic or foreign) when the student-athlete initially registers in a regular term (semester or quarter) of an academic year for a minimum full-time program of studies, as determined by the institution, and attends the student's first day of classes for that term.

[u/tdpdcpa → u/passwordisguest]

The league has relaxed the rules for a 5th year specifically in football. The league bylaws allow them to apply the NCAA’s 5th year eligibility rule in league play, if:

1. The player never athletically redshirted,

2. The student will be completing their fifth year since their first year of college enrollment, and

3. The student must present sound academic rationale and documentation for continued enrollment.

Those are the most obvious, relaxed circumstances that give rise to an extra year of eligibility, but the bylaws are clear that the clock stops after 5 years.

In McQuaide’s case:

1. He redshirted at Kent State, and

2. He began his college career in 2021, meaning his 5th year was last year.

[u/VillanOvaReaction → u/tdpdcpa]

I haven’t seen them publish anything but both Ferrante and our AD have said the Patriot League aren’t restricting our use of redshirts.

The only evidence I have is the 4 or 5 5th years on our roster that didn’t medical redshirt.

[u/passwordisguest → u/tdpdcpa]

Good call. I was completely forgetting they added the 5th year language in line with the NCAA allowing 5 seasons of play now.

But your point is dead-on: it was always crystal clear that McQuaide didn't meet that criteria. As such, Villanova starting him feels like they're begging the Patriot to force them to forfeit their wins.

And I know it'll become a bigger deal and all but I do hope the Patriot League goes and tests the issue and forces Nova to forfeit any conference wins he starts in. Because it's best to learn sooner rather than later that lawyers and judges ultimately can determine that a conference of schools that willingly join together to set rules around conference play can't enforce said rules. At least then plans can be made to kill the concept of conferences and governance (which have existed essentially the entire existence of the sport, going all the way back to the first "conference", the Intercollegiate Football Association, in 1873) and figure out a way to efficiently have each matchup between schools agree upon rules individually before play.

[u/tdpdcpa → u/passwordisguest]

I'm with you, I really hope the league forces the issue.

However, I'm also aware of the reality of how these legal proceedings go, and the timing of it all. McQuaide is going to play this year. He just is.

I'm not sure how this will resolve itself, whether the courts will render the case moot or if the preliminary injunction will remain in place indefinitely.

However, if McQuaide decides not to continue the legal fight and the preliminary injunction is no longer effective, I do see the league declaring McQuaide ineligible retroactively, vacating any conference championships won by Villanova with McQuaide, and issuing a fine to Villanova for their continued participation in the league. I don't foresee the league taking this sitting down in that regard.

[u/passwordisguest → u/tdpdcpa]

I suppose what I don’t see is how the lawsuit can prevent the Patriot from punishing Villanova itself (not McQuaide directly) for them violating the rules by playing a guy who doesn’t meet their eligibility requirements. Nova is still fully allowed to start him if they want, the game still gets played, they just have to accept a consequence of the rule when all is said and done.

[u/tdpdcpa → u/passwordisguest]

IANAL, but my understanding is that the League is prevented from asserting its eligibility rules against McQuaide while they work out the legality of those rules. Therefore, even if McQuaide violates the rules by the letter of the rule, the League has to move forward as if he is eligible.

Because of that, the League can't take any action against Villanova on that basis because Villanova isn't using an "ineligible player."

It's also notable that Villanova isn't taking action against the League. They aren't a named plaintiff, even if they are assisting McQuaide in his efforts.

Therefore, the League doesn't have any basis to sanction Villanova until McQuaide's matter is settled.

[u/MrCelluloid]

What makes this stranger is I'm pretty sure I remembered Pat posting on his IG he was gonna announce for the NFL draft, which like... I mean I like McQuaide don't get me wrong but he'd have a better shot in the UFL draft. I guess he changed his mind.

[u/RandomFactUser → u/MrCelluloid]

You have to enter the NFL Draft before you can enter the UFL draft

[u/MrCelluloid → u/RandomFactUser]

I was unaware, is that the same for CFL?

[u/RandomFactUser → u/MrCelluloid]

The CFL is different, you can even play CFL before declaring for the NFL draft

For Canadians, as soon as you graduate, or otherwise can, you declare for the CFL draft

For Americans, as soon as you extinguish your eligibility, you declare your intent to enter the CFL, in which case, the club who has you on their Negotiation List gets to negotiate a deal with you and has your rights, if no club has you, then you are a free agent

For Globals, you enter the Global Draft when you become eligible

Some other notes:

X-League (Premier): while under a closed license system, due to the historical pro/rel status, and the corporate ties, all players become free agents upon graduation

EFA/AFLE: Players can enter the league at essentially any age, no college restrictions

[u/Purple_Piccolo5074 → u/MrCelluloid]

He didn’t post that he was announcing for the draft

[u/MrCelluloid → u/Purple_Piccolo5074]

I think he deleted the post.