Report: Tennessee Granted Temporary Injuction, NCAA No Longer Able To Enforce NIL Policy
The NCAA isn't backing down from programs and the future of NIL.
A federal judge on Friday suspended all NCAA rules on name, image and likeness benefits for athletes, amid the league investigation of the University of Tennessee amid NIL recruiting violations.
The injunction now stops the NCAA from enforcing any rules relating to third-party negotiation on NIL compensation until a final decision is reached among both parties.
Last month, attorney generals from the state of Tennessee and Virginia sued the NCAA amid the report that Tennessee had violated multiple Level I infractions during the recruiting of five-star quarterback Nico Iamaleava. According to reports, Iamaleava inked an NIL deal in Knoxville worth roughly $8 million.
Per the lawsuit, the attorneys generals alleged that the NCAA had violated antitrust laws by denying athletes their ability to earn full compensation for NIL. This also affects recruiting, both in-visit and in-home visits.
"The NCAA's prohibition likely violates federal antitrust law and harms student-athletes," U.S. District Judge Clifton Corker said in the decision handed down on Friday.
NIL was approved by the NCAA back in July 2021 but came with multiple parameters, including being able to persuade players both from high school and in the transfer portal to commit to a program with funds from NIL collectives. The NCAA also hasn't offered ideas on relegation pertaining to how much a player can earn based on their name, image, and likeness.
Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti said the injunction ensures athlete rights will be protected from the NCAA’s “illegal NIL-recruitment ban.”
“We will litigate this case to the fullest extent necessary to ensure the NCAA’s monopoly cannot continue to harm Tennessee student-athletes,” Skrmetti said. “The NCAA is not above the law, and the law is on our side.”
NCAA president Charlie Baker recently mentioned the league won't push for stricter transfer rules or recruiting limitations, but won't have a finite answer until the ruling between Tennessee and Virginia has become official.
"Turning upside down rules overwhelmingly supported by member schools will aggravate an already chaotic collegiate environment, further diminishing protections for student-athletes from exploitation," the NCAA said in a statement. "The NCAA fully supports student-athletes making money from their name, image and likeness and is making changes to deliver more benefits to student-athletes, but an endless patchwork of state laws and court opinions make clear partnering with Congress is necessary to provide stability for the future of all college athletes."