Diego Pavia promises to donate all his NIL money to a G5 team if it wins the national championship

Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia has never lacked confidence or conviction. He proved it again this week with one of the boldest statements of the college football season. 

Appearing on The Pivot Podcast, Pavia argued that the College Football Playoff should truly consist of the 12 best teams in America. He doesn’t believe this year’s Group of Five participants, Tulane and James Madison, have any real shot at winning it all. Then, he took it a step further.

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“It’s a 12-team Playoff. Put every team that’s good,” Pavia said. “If a G5 team wins it, I would donate whatever I got in NIL back to that team. I would do that, if a G5 team ever wins it.”

Alas, Pavia’s frustration is rooted in Vanderbilt’s narrow miss of the postseason despite a historic 10–2 season. The Commodores finished at No. 13, falling outside the field of 12 and behind programs like Notre Dame, BYU and Texas.

The irony is that those teams would’ve kept Vanderbilt out, even automatic bids did not exist. Still, for a program that just delivered its first-ever 10-win regular season, being left out stings. And Pavia, one of the nation’s most electric players, has not been shy about voicing that disappointment.

His appearance on The Pivot was part of a whirlwind week as the elder quarterback continues his media tour ahead of Saturday’s Heisman Trophy ceremony. Pavia was named one of four 2025 finalists, joining Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza, Ohio State’s Julian Sayin and Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love in New York City.

No national title, but can Diego Pavia win the Heisman? 

During the interview, Pavia also opened up about what the Heisman moment means to him. It’s something he has dreamed about since childhood. 

“I still remember Johnny winning it,” he said, recalling Johnny Manziel’s iconic Heisman victory. “I used to watch Johnny’s tape. … I want that to be me one day. Now, it’s coming full circle.”

All told, Pavia’s rise has been nothing short of remarkable. He led the SEC in total offense with 4,018 yards and accounted for 36 touchdowns while carrying Vanderbilt to the brink of the Playoff. 

He also became just the fourth SEC player in the last 30 years to top 250 passing yards and 150 rushing yards in a single game. That put him in a group headlined by Manziel, Jayden Daniels and Tim Tebow.

Whether Pavia wins the Heisman or not, he has already cemented his place as one of the most compelling characters in college football. He’s fiery, fearless and unapologetically competitive, and now he’s willing to put his NIL on the line to prove a point.

— On3’s Alex Byington contributed to this article.