Vanderbilt breaks their silence following the Diego Pavia Heisman controversy.

Vanderbilt has decided not to punish quarterback Diego Pavia for his comments at the Heisman Trophy ceremony. The school chose to support him instead of taking disciplinary action after a tense weekend.

Pavia finished second in the Heisman voting and lost to Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza. Emotions ran high during the ceremony, and Pavia criticized the voters, which was not accepted well across college football.

The 23-year-old senior later owned the moment. He apologized publicly on X and took responsibility for his words, saying, “Being a part of the Heisman ceremony last night as a finalist was such an honor. As a competitor, just like in everything I do I wanted to win. To be so close to my dream and come up short was painful. I didn’t handle those emotions well at all and did not represent myself the way I wanted to. I have much love and respect for the Heisman voters and the selection process, and I apologize for being disrespectful.”

The team listened and moved forward with him.

Vanderbilt Stands Beside Pavia

Diego Pavia (Image Credits: Imagn)
Vanderbilt head coach Clark Lea addressed the situation with reporters this weekend. He called the whole incident a lesson and backed his quarterback.

“I regretted the fact that he put that out there, and I appreciated his apology,” Lea said. He praised Pavia’s journey and mindset. Lea pointed to the pain of falling short of a lifelong goal.

Lea also made the school’s stance clear. “What we love about Diego is his passion, his belief, his competitive edge,” he said. “We’ve celebrated that for two years here.” Lea said Pavia crossed a line at the ceremony, while adding that Pavia apologized and showed growth. “We’re going to allow him to move on from it,” Lea said. “I’m going to move on from it. I think it’s a great learning moment, and we totally support him and believe in him.”

Pavia shared his apology in a lengthy post on X, thanking the Heisman voters and respecting the process, and also praised Mendoza and the other finalists.

He spoke about his path and his support system. Pavia credited his family, teammates, and coaches. He said, “My family has always been in my corner, and my teammates, coaches and staff have my six. I love them – I am grateful for them – and I wouldn’t want anything to distract from that. I look forward to competing in front of my family and with my team one more time in the ReliaQuest Bowl.”

The program chose to stick together. Vanderbilt wants the team to stay focused and calm as bowl season nears.

Pavia is now turning his attention back to football. Vanderbilt will play Iowa in the ReliaQuest Bowl later this season. The Commodores plan to support their quarterback and finish the season on a good note.

Luka Doncic ‘destroys’ the Mavs on his return. Gets standing ovation and shows love to Mark Cuban

Luka Doncic hits 45 points in his first game in Dallas since being traded to the Los Angeles.

It’s rare for a home crowd to cheer the visiting team, but Luka Doncic’s return to Dallas was no ordinary night.

Just days before February’s trade deadline, the Mavericks shocked the NBA by sending their 26-year-old superstar to the Lakers—a move that outraged fans and sparked backlash toward GM Nico Harrison.

On Wednesday, Doncic played his first game back in Dallas since the trade. The arena was filled with fans in both his old Mavs and new Lakers jerseys, many chanting “Fire Nico” in protest.

Despite the emotion in the air, Doncic delivered a dominant performance, scoring a game-high 45 points to lead the Lakers to a 112-97 win. It was a powerful return for one of the league’s brightest stars—and a night Dallas won’t soon forget

The Mavericks pay tribute to Luka Dončić

While the Mavericks’ decision to trade Luka Doncic remains heavily criticized, they handled his return to Dallas with undeniable grace. The organization made sure his first game back as a Laker was met with respect and appreciation.

Every seat in the arena was draped with a T-shirt reading “Hvala za vse,” which translates from Slovenian to “thank you for everything.” It was a thoughtful nod to Doncic’s heritage and impact on the franchise.

Before tip-off, during the starting lineup announcements, the Mavericks played a tribute video showcasing some of Doncic’s most iconic moments in a Dallas jersey. The emotional gesture clearly resonated—moving Doncic to tears in front of the crowd that once called him their own.

Luka Doncic ‘DESTROYS’ his old team

Luka delivered a dazzling performance against his former team, putting up 45 points on 16-of-28 shooting, including 7-of-10 from beyond the arc. He also added 8 rebounds, 6 assists, and 4 steals in a game that showed exactly why he’s one of the best in the league.

From the opening tip, Doncic was locked in. By halftime, Doncic had racked up 31 points on 11-of-16 shooting in just 19 minutes—marking the 10th time in his career he’s scored 30 or more in a single half.

Though his scoring slowed in the second half, he continued to lead effectively, securing both a Lakers win and an unforgettable showing for the fans in Dallas.