The attorneys general of Florida, New York, and the District of Columbia have joined Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti and Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares’ lawsuit challenging the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s (NCAA) name, image, and likeness (NIL) recruitment ban.
“We’re glad to keep fighting to protect student-athletes from illegal NCAA rules. I welcome the addition of our bipartisan partners to the case,” Skrmetti said in a statement. “The ultimate goal is to get the lawyers out of this and let student-athletes compete under fair and clear rules, but in the meantime, we’ll do our part to move things in the right direction.”
Welcome to the team, @DCAttorneyGen, @NewYorkStateAG, and @AGAshleyMoody. pic.twitter.com/SE2CrryhBt
— TN Attorney General (@AGTennessee) May 1, 2024
Skrmetti and Miyares filed the antitrust lawsuit against the NCAA on January 31, arguing that the collegiate organization “violated antitrust laws in its enforcement of rules that unfairly restricted how student-athletes can commercially use their NIL at a critical juncture in the recruiting process.”
“These anticompetitive restrictions violate the Sherman Act and harm the States and the welfare of their student-athletes,” Skrmetti and Miyares added.
The NCAA prohibits prospective student-athletes from discussing potential NIL opportunities with schools and collectives prior to enrolling through its NIL recruitment ban.
Specifically, the ban prohibits student-athletes from negotiating with collectives, reviewing NIL offers before making enrollment decisions, and adequately considering the full scope of NIL-related services a school might offer upon enrollment.
Shortly after the lawsuit was filed, the Eastern District Court of Tennessee granted Skrmetti and Miyares’ preliminary injunction, barring the NCAA from enforcing its NIL-recruitment ban until the case is decided, as previously reported by The Tennessee Star.
“Tennessee and Virginia, now with Florida, New York, and Washington, D.C., will continue to litigate this case to the fullest extent necessary to ensure the NCAA’s monopoly cannot continue to harm Tennessee student-athletes,” Skrmetti’s office said.
– – –
Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
