The lawsuit
On Wednesday, the attorney general of Tennessee and Virginia filed an antitrust lawsuit against the NCAA. The lawsuit challenges the ban on “the use of name, image and likeness compensation in the recruitment of college athletes.”
Donde Plowman criticized the NCAA for probing the University of Tennessee’s recruiting violations, triggering the attack on the association.
“Instead, 2 1/2 years of vague and contradictory NCAA memos, emails and ‘guidance’ about name, image and likeness (NIL) has created extraordinary chaos that student-athletes and institutions are struggling to navigate,” Plowman said. “In short, the NCAA is failing.”
The lawsuit wants to fight back rules against NCAA rules.
The association is “enforcing rules that unfairly restrict how athletes can commercially use their name, image, and likeness at a critical juncture in the recruiting calendar,” says the lawsuit. It continues saying, “These anticompetitive restrictions violate the Sherman Act, harm the States and the welfare of their athletes, and should be declared unlawful and enjoined.”
Tennessee AG Jonathon Skrmetti sought a temporary restraining order to halt NCAA rule enforcement during the ongoing lawsuit.
The NCAA’s legal troubles
The NCAA is already facing another lawsuit by a group of state attorney generals who are challenging the NCAA’s transfer rules.
The NCAA President urges federal lawmakers for support to govern without constant legal challenges. Additionally, he advocates for reforms enabling schools to manage NIL activities internally and compensate athletes via trust funds.
Along with these problems, the NCAA is also investigating Tennessee and The Vol Club. It seems that both Tennessee and the NCAA have got their work cut out for them.
