Former WKU lineman sues NCAA over lost scholarship after mother's death
Victory Vaka, a former Western Kentucky defensive lineman, has filed a lawsuit in Tennessee claiming the NCAA denied him eligibility after his scholarship was revoked following his mother’s death.
Victory Vaka, a 6-foot-3, 335-pound defensive lineman who moved to Western Kentucky University in January, traveled home on April 2 after his mother Sarah Mataele died unexpectedly. Although he maintained a 3.33 GPA and stayed in contact with the school, WKU chief of staff Travis Taylor informed him on May 27 that his scholarship would not be renewed, processing him as a “failure to report.” This classification rendered Vaka ineligible to transfer under the NCAA’s aid-reduction exemption.
His lawyer, Darren Heitner, filed a verified complaint and an emergency motion for a temporary restraining order in Rutherford County, Tennessee, arguing the NCAA improperly denied Vaka’s legislative relief waiver and subsequent appeal. The suit seeks to restore Vaka’s eligibility so he can compete at another FBS institution, noting that multiple programs have expressed interest. Heitner asserts the NCAA had no risk of opening flood-gate lawsuits and could have resolved the matter without litigation.
Why it matters
The case highlights how NCAA eligibility rules can affect student-athletes facing personal tragedies.
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