Victory Vaca Faces Scholarship Revocation After Mother’s Passing

Victory Vaca’s situation took a drastic turn.

Just two months after the death of his mother, a senior defensive lineman at Western Kentucky saw his scholarship unexpectedly canceled by the university.

Vaca, who had transferred from South Texas, lost his mother on April 2 and returned home to mourn. He was supposed to come back to Western Kentucky to play in the 2026 season.

Prior to his mother’s funeral, his assistant strength coach had passed on the workout program and reached out nine days before to express hope that Vaca would return by June.

However, when Vaca didn’t come back by May 26, university chief of staff Travis Taylor informed him the following day that the Hilltoppers were revoking his scholarship.

“I was shocked,” Vaca shared.

Additionally, the university categorized Vaca as a “non-reporter,” which effectively barred him from entering the transfer portal due to NCAA aid reductions or waivers. The NCAA also denied him an exemption for legislative relief.

This means Vaca now only has one semester left to graduate and, unfortunately, cannot transfer to utilize his final year of eligibility.

“Their actions are inhumane,” Vaca expressed. “Some coaches say they care, but they really don’t.”

The 6-foot-3, 335-pound lineman mentioned that head coach Tyson Helton didn’t provide clear guidance on when he could return. Helton showed support for Vaca’s choice to look elsewhere, especially if it meant moving closer to his home in Hollywood, California.

Reflecting on the situation, Vaca feels like the Hilltoppers were always looking to replace him.

“I didn’t want to leave Western Kentucky, but I had to come back home,” he said. “[Helton] told me that if I didn’t come back, he wouldn’t blame me. That really caught me off guard.”

“I felt like they wouldn’t be upset if I didn’t return.”

Vaca added that he believed they had given him the whole month of May off, as the assistant strength coach had indicated he expected him in June. “I think this is where everything went wrong,” he stated, attributing it to a breakdown in communication on both sides.

His agent, Jayquan Jefferson, mentioned after the incident that several FBS schools are interested in signing Vaca if he can enter the portal.

In the aftermath, Taylor acknowledged that Vaca had been away for two months and likely would not be ready to play. He asserted to Jefferson that he had “no malicious intent,” but added that this situation was simply “business.”

“We’re paying them this much money and saying, ‘Okay, now we’re going to expect you to be an adult and communicate and do all the things that adults do,’” Taylor noted.

On the day of her passing, Vaca honored his mother with an Instagram post, featuring several photos from their past together, including moments from their high school graduation ceremony.

“Dear mama, I love you so, so, so much. I’m so sorry. Please watch over me and your babies. My heart is so broken, baby. You’re in such a good place right now,” he wrote in the caption. “Hugs and kisses to Grandma and Grandpa. Every time you couldn’t come to a game, I knew what was going on. I cried after the games you came to because I didn’t know when I’d see you next. You were so sick but you still tried. You’re the best mother in the world.”

Vaca concluded, “I still want to be like you, but I don’t know if I ever will be. You’re my role model. I’ll continue to do everything I say I’m going to do, and I’ll do it on your watch!! Forever in your debt. I love you so much, Mama Bear. ❤️”

In 2025, while at Texas Southern, Vaca recorded 12 tackles in nine games.