Skrmetti argues the NCAA violates federal antitrust laws by putting a “shifting and opaque series of rules and guidelines” around athletes’ benefits for their name, image and likeness. It’s similar to the language UT Chancellor Donde Plowman used in a scathing email to NCAA President Charlie Baker on Monday denying that UT broke NCAA rules involving NIL benefits for athletes.
“Vague and contradictory NCAA memos, emails and ‘guidance’ about name, image and likeness has created extraordinary chaos that student-athletes and institutions are struggling to navigate,” Plowman said. “In short, the NCAA is failing.”
Tim Meads, the attorney general’s press secretary, said in a written statement “this lawsuit is focused on upholding the law and protecting all student-athletes in Tennessee, not any given institution.” So the lawsuit and the NCAA investigation into UT are not directly connected. But this is the second time in the past 10 months that Skrmetti has challenged the NCAA in a way that supports UT. And both instances involved athletes’ NIL rights.
Last March, Skrmetti threatened legal action against the NCAA if it banned the UT football team from postseason play as punishment in the Jeremy Pruitt recruiting scandal. He argued that such a ban would violate state law because it prohibits players’ ability to earn money through
