Villanova Quarterback Pat McQuaide’s Lawsuit With Patriot League Ongoing

The lawsuit between Villanova quarterback Pat McQuaide and the Patriot League regarding McQuaide’s eligibility to play this season is ongoing, with the conference filing a motion to dismiss on Monday, Nov. 2.

Villanova is amidst a a four game winning streak and a game behind Lehigh for the conference lead. As such, the dispute — in which the Patriot League said Villanova would forfeit any games McQuaide played in — could have a major impact on the FCS playoff field.

McQuaide petitioned the NCAA for an extra season of eligibility over the summer. Prior to Villanova, he redshirted at Kent State, played a season at the junior college level — not counted against years of eligibility per a 2025 NCAA ruling — and two years at Nuckolls State. With only three years of playing time at the Division I level, he had a solid case for one final season in college, but the NCAA denied his petition.

McQuaide subsequently sued the NCAA and was granted a preliminary injunction to play, at which point the Patriot League, not named in the lawsuit, said Villanova would forfeit any game he played in. That led McQuaide to sue the Patriot League.

The Patriot League’s Answer

As part of that ongoing suit, the conference’s Nov. 2 motion uses the language from McQuaide’s initial complaint against him, saying “McQuaide knew that he generally was not eligible to play football for Villanova this 2026-2027 season and required a waiver from the NCAA… He had career prospects after he graduated with his master’s degree, but he turned down those opportunities because he hoped his waiver request would be granted.”

The motion to dismiss also points out that McQuaide sued the Patriot League, headquartered in Bethlehem, Pa., in an Ohio court, asserting that the court doesn’t have jurisdiction over the conference and its operations. As such, the motion to dismiss says that the Ohio Court of Common Pleas exercising jurisdiction over it would deprive the conference’s right to due process protected under the 14th Amendment.

Finally, the 33-page motion makes a series of counterclaims to McQuaide’s initial suit: interested readers can search the full civil suit and associated motions here. Time should be on Villanova’s side with just two weeks left in the season and McQuaide currently able to play under the preliminary injunction. The Wildcats likely also benefit from the case taking place under the jurisdiction of Ohio judge Timothy McCormick, who already granted injunctions in McQuaide’s favor against both the NCAA and the Patriot League… but a potential conference title run could push the issue in the ongoing battle between the NCAA, schools and players for control of the changing landscape of college sports.