The states of New York and Florida, along with the District of Columbia, have officially joined Tennessee in its lawsuit challenging the NCAA’s name, image, and likeness (NIL) rules for college sports.
Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti welcomed the new partners in the lawsuit and said in a statement, “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.”
“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,” Skrmetti added, according to the Knoxville News Sentinel.
Pennants with the NCAA Logo hang over the pool during the Division I Men’s Swimming and Diving Championships at IU Natatorium at IUPUI on March 28, 2024, in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Joe Robbins/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
Florida State University and the University of Florida were two of the first targets of the NCAA in its NIL investigations.
The NCAA penalized Florida State in Jan. after accusing an assistant coach of having an impermissible relationship between a transfer prospect and a NIL group. The school was handed a two-year probation, had scholarships reduced, and blocked the school from the NIL collective.
The NCAA also announced an investigation into the University of Florida for how it recruited quarterback Jaden Rashada.
Skrmetti noted that the NCAA’s investigation into the University of Tennessee prompted him to file his lawsuit.
Wilson basketballs marked with the NIT logo sit on the floor before an NIT quarterfinal game between the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels and Seton Hall Pirates at Walsh Gymnasium on March 27, 2024, in South Orange, New Jersey. (Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
The case already earned an early victory when a federal judge granted their injunction in February, suspending the NCAA’s rules on NIL benefits while the lawsuit played out.
The NCAA also took a step to back off during the lawsuit by suspending all its investigations into NIL violations.
All parties are desperately trying to find ways to share revenue with student-athletes as several different lawsuits barrel through courts across the country.
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