Despite Villanova quarterback Pat McQuaide being granted a preliminary injunction to play this season, the Patriot League has deemed the Wildcats starter ineligible.
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On Aug. 4, the Patriot League sent a letter to Villanova stating that the conference denied McQuaide’s eligibility waiver request. The conference’s decision conflicts with a preliminary injunction granted on Aug. 1 by Cuyahoga County (Ohio) Common Pleas Court judge Timothy P. McCormick. McQuaide, a native of Cuyahoga County, originally motioned to sue the NCAA after it denied his waiver request to play in 2026.
In its reasoning, the Patriot League cited the original NCAA ruling which had been overruled by the Ohio court. The letter to Villanova from Patriot League Senior Associate Commissioner for Policy and Compliance Lynn Hughes states that the quarterback “has utilized four seasons of competition within five years since initial collegiate enrollment.”
“The university is aware of the situation and are in the process of working with [McQuaide] and the Patriot League to determine next steps,” wrote Villanova athletics.
The Patriot League declined to comment.
“The Patriot League is now asserting [the four seasons of competition rule] as its basis to prohibit [McQuaide] from playing in any Patriot League games,” Richard Hamilton Jr., the attorney that represented McQuaide in Cuyahoga County, told the Inquirer. “My understanding is that Villanova has been informed that if he plays in any games, then they’ll be forfeited.”
On Aug. 11, Hamilton, on behalf of McQuaide, filed a Motion for Clarification to the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court. Hamilton is looking for the court to clarify whether the Patriot League is legally required to obey the court’s preliminary injunction. If so, the conference is required to allow McQuaide to play.
“It’s an extraordinary move,” Hamilton said. “No conference has done it. I have no idea why the Patriot League has insinuated itself into it, and have no idea why the Patriot League believes that it, and not the court, is the final arbiter on who plays and who doesn’t after a valid court injunction.
“Frankly, my own legal view is that [the Patriot League is] in contempt of court. Hopefully, we can get this resolved, if not in a Cleveland court in Delaware County.”
McQuaide contends the COVID-19 pandemic toward the end of his high school career disrupted his development and recruitment before he landed at Kent State as a walk-on. McQuaide redshirted at Kent State, before transferring to Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, where he led the junior college ranks in passing yards, passing yards per game, and passing TDs.
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The legal question around McQuaide’s eligibility surrounds his 2022 season at Mississippi Gulf Coast. JUCO programs are not under the purview of the NCAA, but seasons spent at that level have historically counted towards student-athletes’ eligibility.
Villanova, which submitted the waiver request to the NCAA on behalf of McQuaide, argued that the COVID-19 pandemic directly led to McQuaide’s single season at Mississippi Gulf Coast. The school described the year as a “necessary bridge rather than a choice to ‘use’ an additional season.”
For this reason, Villanova had requested that the season should not count as one of McQuaide’s allotted seasons of eligibility.
McQuaide subsequently played for two seasons at NCAA Division I FCS program Nicholls State before transferring to Villanova for the 2025 season.
The initial decision by the Ohio court had noted that Villanova was holding a roster spot for McQuaide, who threw for 3,123 yards and 25 touchdowns last season. McQuaide is not currently listed on Villanova’s official roster, but he has been seen at team practice. The Wildcats were recently ranked No. 7 in the preseason FCS coaches poll.
There’s no other quarterback on Villanova’s roster who has completed a pass in college. Villanova will host William & Mary next Friday (6 p.m.) in its season opener, which is also the first-ever Patriot League game for both teams.
Both programs were formerly longtime members of the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA).