Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost Prepared to Advise Ohio State to Sue Big Ten Over Cancelled Football Season
If the Ohio State Buckeyes don't play football this fall, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost is reportedly ready to recommend that The Ohio State University file a lawsuit against the Big Ten Conference.
Yost told Randy Ludlow at The Columbus Dispatch that "a team of state lawyers studying Ohio State’s contracts with the Big Ten believe an 'excellent contract claim for several tens of millions of dollars in lost revenue' can be demanded in a lawsuit."
Yost said he has not yet discussed the plans with Ohio State officials, but he said, "I think we have a cause of action for violating contracts between the Big Ten and Ohio State and for illegal interference in a business relationship."
Yost does not believe that the Big Ten has the legal authority to delay or cancel the football season.
The Big Ten and its member schools reportedly voted 11-3 in favor of postponing the football season. Ohio State, Nebraska and Iowa were the three schools that wanted to continue with the season as scheduled.
This is the latest news in a growing list of politicians and lawyers calling for anything from clarity and information to an actual court case already filed in the state of Nebraska.
Yost is an Ohio State graduate. He said he's directed his legal team to "put together a case, so if negotiations break down and the season is canceled, we are prepared to make a presentation to the board (of trustees) and the administration.”
School administration and athletics officials have not yet provided a comment on the situation.
Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren said on August 19 that their postponement decision "would not be revisited" while the league works to come up with a solution on restarting the season. Teddy Greenstein of the Chicago Tribune says the league's presidents and chancellors will vote on the information presented by the Big Ten Return to Competition Task Force "this weekend at the earliest."
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